What the Heart Wants
by PrincessCordelia13
Summary: "Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds or bends with the remover to remove. O no! It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken." - William Shakespeare. Sirius has been in love with his best friend's sister since the moment he met her. This is their story. Slow burn Sirius/OC James/Lily
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC. All other rights belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

Sadie Mae Potter held tightly to her brother's hand as they leaned out the window of the Hogwarts Express, waving to their parents. At 11 years old, both James and Sadie were ecstatic to be starting their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. James wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulders as their parents forms disappeared.

Sadie took a shaky breath. "I'm going to miss them."

James looked at her with a slight frown. "We're going to Hogwarts! You won't even have time to miss them." He smiled at her encouragingly. "I'll make sure of it."

Sadie's lips curved upward slightly as they made their way down the aisle, looking for an empty compartment. Then she sighed wistfully. "I'll bet we get sorted into different houses. I just know you'll be in Gryffindor! But I'm not nearly as brave as you..."

"Bravery doesn't mean having no fear." The twins jumped at the new voice, not having realized that there was anyone behind them. A tall, older boy with freckles and red hair grinned at them as they turned around. "It means being willing to do things even when you are afraid to. I wouldn't count yourself out of the greatest house just yet."

Sadie blushed and gave the boy a small smile. "Thank you. I'm Sadie, and this is my brother, James."

"Nice to meet you, Sadie and James! I'm Gideon, third year." He slid open a compartment door. "I'll see you both at the Gryffindor table at the feast tonight!" Gideon sent another smile and a wink Sadie's way before he disappeared into the compartment. Sadie gazed at the door for a moment after it had closed, her cheeks still tinged with pink. James smirked at her and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, Sade. There will be plenty of time to moon over older boys later."

Sadie flushed deeper and avoided his eyes. "I wasn't..." she mumbled. James just laughed and pulled her into a compartment. It was empty except for one girl who looked about their age. She was staring down at her hands in her lap, her long red hair falling over her shoulders.

"Mind if we join you?" James asked, not waiting for an answer as he sat down. The girl glanced up at them and nodded before turning to look out the window. It looked like she'd been crying. Sadie moved to sit directly across from her.

"Are you a first year too?" she asked kindly. The girl nodded.

"I'm Lily," she said shakily.

Sadie grinned at her. "Sadie. This is James. I'm ever so nervous to be starting school, aren't you? I'm going to miss my family terribly." She was awarded with a small smile before the door slid open.

"Can I join you?" A boy with shiny black hair that fell almost to his shoulders stood at the door. James grinned at him and scooted closer to his sister so that the boy could sit on his other side. The boy sat happily and held his hand out to James. "I'm Sirius."

James shook his hand and introduced himself. The girls followed suit before Lily turned back to the window. James and Sirius began joking around, and Sadie giggled at their antics. Sirius looked pleased with himself every time she would smile at one of his jokes, but Sadie was oblivious.

The door slid open once more to reveal another black haired boy. Without a glance at the other three, he sat down next to Lily, who looked at him and gave a small frown.

"I don't want to talk to you," she sniffled. James and Sirius didn't even seem to have noticed the new boy and continued to laugh and talk animatedly. Sadie got the impression that this conversation between Lily and the boy was not one she was meant to hear, so she respectfully tuned it out and turned to watch her brother and his new friend. After a few moments, James suddenly stopped and turned to stare incredulously at the pair opposite him, one word having caught his attention.

"Slytherin?" He snickered disdainfully. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" He asked Sirius.

Sirius slouched in his chair with a frown. "My whole family have been in Slytherin."

"Blimey!" James raised his eyebrows. "And I thought you seemed alright!" Sadie quietly agreed with her brother but decided that she liked Sirius, no matter what house he ended up in.

"Maybe I'll break tradition." Sirius gave a small grin. "Where are you headed, if you've got the choice?"

James pretended to lift a sword. "Gryffindor! Where dwell the brave at heart! Like our dad." He gestured at his sister. Sadie smiled and shook her head, amused. The boy who was talking to Lily, however, gave a condescending snort. James raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Got a problem with that?"

"No," the boy sneered back. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-" Sirius cut him off.

"Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" His tone was overly innocent. James burst into laughter, but Sadie and Lily both frowned. Lily stood and looked distastefully at James and Sirius.

"Come on, Severus. Let's find another compartment."

James and Sirius just laughed even harder. "See you later, Snivellus!" James called after them. Sadie looked at them sadly.

"That wasn't very nice," she told them matter-of-factly.

James grinned and threw an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it, Sadie. They'll get over it."

Sadie sighed. "It doesn't matter if they get over it, Jamie. You still should be nice. Both of you." She gave Sirius a look. "What he said wasn't very nice either, but still..." She reached into her trunk and pulled out her robes. "I'm going to change. I'll be back."

She missed the intrigued smile on Sirius' face as she walked out the door, short blonde pigtails bouncing with each step she took.

* * *

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Sadie beamed, elated, as she hopped off the stool and made her way to the Gryffindor table. Sirius beckoned to her and scooted over to make room for her between himself and James. Sadie exchanged a smile with Lily as she passed her and squeezed into the spot Sirius had designated for her. She noticed Sirius was pressed against her rather tightly and felt her cheeks warm slightly but shook it off, realizing that he probably didn't have much room on his other side. She looked up to see Gideon sliding into the seat across from her, a huge grin on his face. Sadie felt her face heat up even more, delighted that the redhead was paying attention to her.

"What did I tell you, Sadie?" He reached across the table and tugged on one of her pigtails. "I knew as soon as I saw you that there was a Gryffindor in there!" Sadie flushed with pride, not noticing the slightly putout look on Sirius' face. James pulled her attention from both boys and gestured toward a boy with sandy blonde hair who was sitting across from him.

"Sadie, this is Remus. And that-" He pointed at another boy sitting by Remus. "-is Peter. They're in our year as well." Sadie smiled at the boys and looked up as Dumbledore began to speak.

_"Yes,"_ she thought to herself. _"I think I will be very happy here."_


	2. Chapter 1

"If I should think of love  
I'd think of you, your arms uplifted,  
Tying your hair in plaits above,  
The lyre shape of your arms and shoulders,  
The soft curve of your winding head.  
No melody is sweeter, nor could Orpheus  
So have bewitched. I think of this,  
And all my universe becomes perfection.  
But were you in my arms, dear love,  
The happiness would take my breath away,  
No thought could match that ecstasy,  
No song encompass it, no other worlds.  
If I should think of love,  
I'd think of you."

Sadie sighed and leaned her head back on the tree against which she was currently resting, gazing out over the great lake. A book of Shakespeare's sonnets lay open on her lap. Sirius had loaned her the book about a week ago after he had finished it. Now in their fifth year at Hogwarts, Sadie was close friends with James, Remus, Peter, and Sirius. She and Sirius were particularly close, and a love of the Shakespeare's writings was one of the things that bonded them. It was Sirius who had discovered the muggle playwright, most likely looking for a way to further infuriate his blood-purist parents. He had quickly developed a genuine fondness for the writer, however, and shared his findings with Sadie.

She was startled from her thoughts when the book was suddenly snatched from her lap. "Hey now!" She protested but stopped and smiled upon seeing a familiar redhead staring at the pages with a look of mock disdain. Sadie's crush on Gideon Prewett had grown exponentially since her first year, and she was embarrassed to admit that he was probably very well aware of her feelings for him. He did nothing to deter them, however, and had in fact seemed to encourage her attention throughout the years.

"Why do you read this stuff, Sadie?" He shook his head at her, holding the book over her head as she reached for it. "It doesn't even make any sense!"

"It's romantic!" Sadie insisted. "And so beautiful and complex!"

Gideon smirked. "Romantic, huh?" He glanced down at the book again. "'What is love? 'Tis not hereafter.'"

He looked up at her and began moving closer to her. "'Present mirth hath present laughter.'"

Another step, and Sadie swallowed hard. "'What's to come is still unsure. In delay there lies no plenty.'"

Sadie found her back pressed against the tree, heart hammering as Gideon leaned closer to her. "'Then come kiss me sweet and twenty,'" he murmured. "'Youth's a stuff will not endure.'"

Sadie could feel his breath on her neck and closed her eyes as he pinched the end of one of her braids between his fingers and whispered in her ear, "So, poetry, huh? That's the way to your heart? I'll have to remember that." She could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Sadie!"

Sadie jumped at the sound of Sirius calling her name. She looked up to see him and James standing a few feet away, glaring daggers at Gideon.

"Sorry." James didn't sound sorry at all. "Are we interrupting something?"

"Not at all!" Gideon raised his eyebrows at them, handing the book back to Sadie. "Sadie was just showing me her book. I'll see you guys at practice tonight. Don't be late!" He winked at Sadie and walked away.

Sadie let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in and willed her face to return to its normal color. James looked at her in concern.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Sirius was still glowering after Gideon.

Sadie frowned at her brother. "No, I am not alright! What was that about?"

James shook his head. "I know, Sade. I'm sorry he's such a prick to you. Although, I have to say, I've never seen him go quite that far with it."

"Not him! You two!"

Both James and Sirius looked at her, affronted. "What?"

"Were you trying to rescue me or something? Did you ever stop and think that maybe I didn't want or need rescuing?" She crossed her arms and looked at them expectantly. Sirius sighed and wrapped an arm around her.

"Sadie...he's been messing with your feelings since the day you met him. Do you really want-" Sadie cute him off, shrugging his arm off of her shoulders.

"He wouldn't do that! He's not the jerk that you guys make him out to be! He's a flirt, and he likes to have a good laugh! Besides, is it so hard to believe that he might actually like me?" Sadie sounded close to tears. James and Sirius shared a look, and James pulled her into a hug.

"It's not that, Sade. Come on, any guy who wouldn't be thrilled to have you is a fool."

Sirius rubbed her back soothingly. "We just don't like to see you get hurt over and over again. I mean, what is it about this guy? You're the most positive, confident girl I know. But a few minutes with him is enough to tear you apart and make you second-guess everything about yourself."

Sadie wiped her eyes and shrugged. "I don't know," she mumbled. "I'm sorry I got angry. That wasn't fair of me. I know you're just looking out for me."

The boys gave her soft smiles, and Sirius picked up her book bag. "We've got to get to Transfiguration or Minnie will have our heads."

"She'll have your head anyway if you didn't finish that essay last night like I told you!" Sadie smirked at him. Sirius put a hand over his heart.

"You wound me, Sadie Mae! When have I ever not followed your advice?"

Sadie quirked an eyebrow. "Well, let's see...when I told you not to take Divination...when I warned you not to try and date Marlene...when I told you to steer clear of Avery because he had it out for you...oh! And there was that one time, in third year-"

"Alright, alright!" Sirius waved her off with a grimace. "Well, now I've learned my lesson! Always listen to Sadie Potter! She is always right. The point is, I did finish that essay. And it turned out quite splendidly if I do say so myself."

Sadie giggled at him and then grabbed her bag from his shoulder. "There's Lily! I've got to catch up to her. See you guys in class!"

"Give her my love!" James called after her. Sadie pretended not to hear him as she fell into stride with her best girl friend.

"Hey, Lils! Are we still on for studying before dinner?"

Lily smiled at her in greeting. "Yes, definitely. Is it okay if Severus comes too? We hardly get to see each other anymore, and he happens to be free this afternoon."

"Oh! Um...yes! Of course!" Sadie forced herself to keep the smile on her face. Snape had a bad habit of saying nasty things to her when Lily couldn't hear. She knew he was just trying to get a rise out of James and Sirius, so she didn't take much of it to heart. It still wasn't something she exactly enjoyed. But Snape meant so much to Lily, Sadie couldn't bring herself to tell her about it.

Lily beamed at her as they entered the Transfiguration classroom. Sadie smiled weakly and took a seat next to Remus.

"Hey Sadie," He greeted warmly. Sadie grinned at him and hugged his arm.

"Hey Rem! How are you feeling today?"

"Good!" Remus answered honestly. "I didn't get nearly as sick as I thought I would last week, and I'm feeling great!" Sadie nodded happily, understanding that he was talking about his last werewolf transformation.

"I'm glad to hear it. Hopefully next time you aren't feeling well, we will be more equipped to help." The conversation sounded innocent enough to eavesdroppers, but Remus gave a smile in recognition that his friends were close to finishing the process of becoming animagi.

"Good afternoon, class," Professor McGonagall began, calling her students to attention. "I trust that you have all finished your essays on the dangers of an unsuccessful vanishing spell. Please place them on your desks so that I may come around and collect them. In the meantime, if you will please begin practicing the wand movements for this spell in pairs."

Sadie and Remus grinned at each other and got to work.

* * *

That evening, Sadie was studying in the library with Lily and Severus when James, Remus, Peter, and Sirius came in. They looked at Snape in disgust but didn't say anything to him, instead addressing Sadie.

"We've only got an hour before practice starts," James reminded her. "You should come down and have dinner."

Sadie sighed and glanced at the clock. "I suppose you're right." She began gathering up her books and parchment. Lily grabbed all of the library books that they weren't checking out.

"You two go on ahead to dinner," she told Sadie and Severus. "I'll put these away and check a couple books out, and then I'll join you." She disappeared behind a shelf, and the remaining six students looked at each other warily.

"Come on, guys," Sadie said to her friends in an attempt to avoid any conflict. "I'm starving."

The four of them nodded silently and followed her out. Snape, however, wasn't far behind them.

"I saw you getting nice and cozy with Prewett earlier, Potter," he sneered. Sadie felt James and Sirius stiffen on either side of her. "What did you have to do to finally get him to notice you? Did you finally embrace the little slut that the rest of us have always known that you are?"

James whirled around, his face livid, but Sadie grabbed his arm. "James, don't," she hissed. "This is exactly what he wants." James took a deep breath and turned back around. But Severus wasn't finished.

"Honestly, I'm surprised that you putting out even made any difference! Deep down, he'll always see you as that annoying, immature little puppy dog who's stalked him for years. It's really creepy. But, I guess I understand why you do it. You've got to delude yourself into thinking that somebody could actually ever love an ugly, foolish girl like you."

Before Sadie could react, Sirius had whipped out his wand and fired a spell at the Slytherin. Snape dodged it and retaliated with a stunner of his own, which Sirius easily deflected. James quickly joined in, and the three of them continued in a rapid flurry of attacks while Sadie screamed at them to knock it off. Remus grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the duel while she struggled against him.

"Remus, let me go!" She snapped. He shook his head.

"You're only going to get hurt if you get in the middle of that."

"POTTER! BLACK! SNAPE!" Everyone froze at the sound of McGonagall's voice and slowly turned to look at her. Her nostrils flared as she took in Snape's bloody nose and the gash across Sirius' cheek. "My office. Now."

All three boys began speaking at once.

"They attacked me, Professor-"

"-was asking for it-"

"-horrible things about my sister-"

"NOW!"

Sadie stepped forward. "Professor-"

"Go to dinner, Miss Potter. I believe you have Quidditch practice soon. Please tell Mr. Prewett that Potter and Black will be late." Her tone brooked no argument. Sadie sighed and watched sadly as she led the three boys down the corridor.

"I've lost my appetite," Sadie mumbled to Remus. "I'm just going to go fly laps around the pitch for a bit before practice." Remus frowned at her in concern but nodded.

Sadie made her way to the locker rooms and quickly changed into more flight friendly attire before grabbing her broom and taking off. The feeling of the wind in her hair seemed to make all of her worries disappear. She sped toward the sky as high as she could go before letting herself and her broom fall backwards. The adrenaline pumping through her was exhilarating as she watched the ground get closer and closer before pulling up at the very last second and taking the fastest lap around the field that she could. When she came around the corner, she saw Gideon watching her from the door of the locker rooms and landed close to him, smiling widely.

Gideon had a look on his face that she'd never seen before, but he quickly shook it off and tugged on her braid. "What are you doing out here already?"

Sadie frowned. "James and Sirius will be late. They're with McGonagall." Gideon looked annoyed at this news but, again, shook it off and grinned at her.

"You're out here early because they'll be late? You know you can't make up their time for them," he teased, tucking a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. Sadie giggled and shook her head.

"No, I...I don't know why I said that. I just...had a lot on my mind. Flying helps."

Gideon nodded and leaned against the door frame. "Care to unload?"

She shrugged and gave him a soft smile. "It's nothing, really. Just some things Snape said."

He looked at her knowingly. "I'm guessing that's why Potter and Black will be late?" Her silence was answer enough for him. "What did he say?"

"Nothing for you to worry yourself over," she dismissed. Gideon stood up straight and looked at her with the same new look he had given her earlier. He reached forward and tucked that same strand of hair behind her ear again, only this time his hand came to rest against her cheek.

"I do worry about you. Sadie, I-" He broke off and looked over her shoulder, and Sadie could have sworn she heard him curse under his breath before lowering his hand and clearing his throat. "I'll talk to you later, yeah?"

Sadie nodded and stared in confusion as he abruptly turned and walked into the locker room.

"Sadie!"

She turned to see Mary MacDonald, her friend and dormmate and seeker for the Gryffindor team, running toward her happily. Sadie smiled at the flushed look on her friend's cheeks as Mary excitedly began recounting the conversation she and Remus had had at dinner. Sadie was only half-listening, however, as she wondered about Gideon's unusual behavior and what he had really been about to say before he noticed their teammates showing up for practice.

* * *

James and Sirius only ended up being about 20 minutes late, so Gideon told them they could make it up by doing 20 minutes of drills after practice was over. Sadie decided to take an extra long shower and wait for them to finish so that they could walk up to the common room together.

She hummed quietly to herself as she savored the feeling of the hot water washing all of the sweat and grime off of her body. She could hear her teammates leaving in small groups, chatting animatedly to each other. She sighed contentedly and turned the water off after a few minutes, using a towel to wring out her short hair before wrapping it around her torso and stepping out of the shower. Gideon was the only other person in the locker room as he had to wait until all his team members had left before locking everything up. He was finishing getting dressed and turned to look at her, chest bare. No matter how many times Sadie saw him like that, she still felt her heart speed up every time. Years of playing beater had been very kind to him. She smiled at him as she padded softly over to her locker.

"You looked really good today," Gideon commented. "At practice, I mean. You Potters are some of the best chasers I've seen the entire time I've been at Hogwarts."

Sadie flushed with pride and grinned at him. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself, you know."

Gideon chuckled and gave her a fond look. "You're pretty amazing, you know that?"

Sadie laughed and turned back to her locker and pulled her clothes out, hoping he wouldn't notice the redness in her cheeks. She could hear James and Sirius making their way in from the Quidditch pitch. "Alright, enough flattery. What do you want?"

"Nothing!" He insisted, walking closer to her. "Except...maybe...go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?"

Sadie dropped the bra she was holding, and the chatter tied down as James and Sirius heard what he had asked. "Oh! I-I would love to! Oh, only, um..." she glanced at her brother and friend. "We had plans..."

"Oh. Right." Gideon rubbed the back of his neck, looking genuinely disappointed. "Well, um, maybe next time then."

Sirius coughed uncomfortably. "I mean, it's really up to you, Sadie...but maybe we could do our thing in the morning and then you and Prewett could meet up afterward..."

The other three stared at him in surprise. Sadie was the first to regain her composure. "Yeah! Yeah that's great! I mean," she glanced at Gideon. "As long as that's okay with you."

Gideon smiled brightly. "Totally okay!" Sadie returned his smile shyly. "Could we meet at the Three Broomsticks? Maybe around...11?"

Sadie glanced at James and Sirius for confirmation before nodding. "That should work."

"Great! I, uh, I look forward to it!"

* * *

Later that night, as the boys each lay in their beds, James rolled over to look at Sirius. "Why did you do it?"

Sirius didn't need to ask what he was talking about. He shrugged, not meeting his best friend's eye.

"She looked so happy when he asked her. And all I want is for her to be happy."

None of the other boys knew how to respond

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews keep me motivated! ;)**


	3. Chapter 2

Sirius Black was in a bad mood.

He was flying around the Quidditch pitch, having broken into the closet to borrow a bat and bludger. The bludger flew at him over and over, and each time Sirius hit it as hard as he could with the bat, trying his darnedest to unleash all the tension built up inside of him. He muttered under his breath, thinking in agitation about the run-in he had had with Gideon Prewett that morning. The Quidditch captain had pulled him aside as Sirius was heading to breakfast with Remus.

_"Oi! Black!"_

_Sirius turned to see Prewett striding quickly down the corridor. _

_"A word?" The redhead asked. Sirius nodded curtly, signalling to Remus to go on ahead to breakfast, and followed Gideon into an empty classroom. "I just wanted to talk to you about last night."_

_Sirius quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"_

_"Yeah. Just...thanks. You know...for being so flexible so that Sadie-"_

_"Stop right there," Sirius interjected, giving the older boy a look of dislike. "That wasn't for your sake. Not even a little bit."_

_"Well, I mean, I'm sure Sadie-"_

_"I wasn't finished," Sirius snapped. Prewett's eyes narrowed. "You've toyed with her heart for years now. Don't think we haven't seen it. Sadie means a lot to me. And if you-"_

_"Oh we all know how much Sadie 'means to you,' Black." It was Gideon's turn to interrupt. He looked at Sirius smugly, dropping the friendly act. "It's been rather pathetic, watching you pine after her all these years, trying anything and everything to get her to like you. Looks like none of it worked though. She chose me."_

_Sirius clenched his fists and looked at the other boy darkly. "Don't hurt her again. I'm giving you one warning."_

_"This may come as news to you, Black," Gideon sneered. "But I do care about Sadie. I always have. Now, I'll admit that there's something different this year. Something more. But-"_

_Sirius gave a hollow laugh. "Wouldn't have anything to do with how much bigger her boobs are this year, would it?"_

_Gideon smirked. "Oh, so you've noticed that? Well, I'll tell you what. You go ahead and look at my girl's beautiful breasts all you want. I'll rest assured knowing that I'm the only one who gets to touch them the way you want to."_

_That did it. In an instant, Sirius had the 7th year pinned to the wall, seething. "She is not your plaything," he snarled, voice shaking with rage. "You respect her. You treat her well. And don't you dare break her heart. Or I'll-"_

_"Yeah, yeah, you'll make me pay." Gideon looked decidedly bored with the conversation. "Try to remember, Black, this doesn't have anything to do with you. It's between Sadie and myself. But, for the record, I have no intention of hurting her. I meant it when I said that I care about her. Now, if we are done here, I'd appreciate it if you'd release me."_

_Sirius gave the boy one last glare before shoving him away and storming out of the room._

The exchange had set him off his groove for the rest of the day. He had lost several house points for his lack of focus during classes, he'd snapped at James when the boy had asked him what was bothering him, and he'd forgotten that he was supposed to meet Sadie at the lake to help her with her Astronomy essay. He had apologized profusely when he saw her at dinner, but she had just smiled brightly and told him not to worry about it; Gideon had shown up and helped her instead. And, to top it all off, he and James had detention with McGonagall tonight for their duel with Snape the day prior.

At that thought, he realized that he should probably head down and shower if he was going to make it to said detention on time. He shot a spell to freeze the bludger and caught it under his arm. As his feet touched the grass, he saw Sadie sitting cross-legged in the grass, playing with a dandelion and watching him with a sad smile on her face.

"Hey," she said softly as she stood up and walked to him. Despite his sour mood, Sirius felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of her looking up at him adoringly through her long lashes. For a moment, he could almost imagine that she returned his feelings. "That looked like quite the workout."

He gave her a sheepish smile. "I haven't had the greatest day," he admitted.

"I gathered that," Sadie laughed teasingly and looped her arm through his as they walked toward the locker rooms. "Want to talk about it?"

Sirius shrugged. "Just an off day," he answered vaguely. "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I guess." Sadie frowned.

"I'm so sorry that you've got detention on my account. You really don't have to-"

Sirius barked a laugh. "It's not that. When have I ever gotten broken up over detention?" He bent down and opened the trunk in the locker room to put the bat and bludger away. "Besides, it's worth it," he added darkly. "Nobody, especially Snivellus, gets to get away with speaking to you like that."

He straightened and turned to look at her again just in time to catch her as she unexpectedly launched herself at him. He blinked in surprise as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. He was suddenly overwhelmed with the smell of her shampoo, and it took him a moment to come to his senses and cautiously return her embrace. He could feel her taking shuddering breaths.

"Sade?" He spoke hesitantly after a moment. "You okay, Sadie Mae?"

She pulled back slightly to give him a watery smile. "I'm not sad," she laughed and rolled her eyes at herself. "I'm happy! You're so good to me, Sirius. Standing up for me all the time, making it so that I can go to Hogsmeade with Gideon even though I know you don't really like him...I just..." She pulled him into another tight hug and said quietly, "I really do love you, Sir. You're my very best friend. Please just know that I'm so grateful for you." She pulled away and kissed him lightly on the cheek before smiling sheepishly. "I guess I should let you shower. Don't want to incur McGonagall's wrath any more by being late."

Sirius stood, stunned, and touched his cheek as she walked away. He shook his head in amazement at how easily she could make the world seem brighter.

He left the Quidditch pitch feeling much lighter than when he had entered it.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Isn't Sirius the sweetest? Let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 3

Sadie woke up a little over a week later with butterflies in her stomach. She sat up abruptly and looked around her dorm to see that all the other girls were still asleep. A glance at the clock told her that it was just before 6, still two hours before anyone was allowed to head to Hogsmeade. But Sadie knew that she would not be able to sleep. She slipped out of bed and crept over to shake Lily's shoulder.

"Lily!" She hissed. The redhead grumbled and opened her eyes to frown at her friend.

"What time is it?"

"About 6..."

Lily groaned and propped herself up on one elbow. "Why are you waking me up then?"

"I need help..." Sadie admitted. "Getting ready for Hogsmeade..."

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Why? Aren't you just hanging out with the guys?"

"Well, yes, in the morning..." Sadie blushed and bit her lip. "But this afternoon, I'm going on a date." She took a deep breath. "With Gideon."

"WHAT?!" Lily screeched. The other girls all sat bolt upright in their beds, looking concerned.

"What's going on?!" Alice questioned. "Is everything okay?!"

Lily was staring at Sadie with her mouth hanging open. "When did this happen?" She looked up at their dormmates. "Sadie is going out with Prewett today!"

In an instant, Sadie found herself surrounded by her girl friends, each of them squealing in excitement.

"Erm, well, he asked me last week after practice." She played awkwardly with the hem of the tank top she had slept in.

"Blimey, Sade!" Marlene exclaimed. "And you didn't think to say anything until now?"

"I didn't want to make a big deal of it!" Sadie answered defensively. "It's just one date! It's not like it's a marriage proposal!

Mary, the hopeless romantic of the group, flopped onto her back with a happy sigh. "Oh, Sadie, I just knew there was something different about how he's been looking at you this year! It's like he just wants to gather you up in his arms and whisk you away..."

"So that he can have his way with you until you both pass out from sheer exhaustion," Marlene grinned wickedly. "You have _got_ to tell us how he is in bed! I hear redheads can be quite the animals-Ow!"

Sadie had chucked a pillow at her, face bright red. "It's just one date!" she insisted, though she couldn't stop the shy grin that made its way onto her face.

"So, did the boys just let you get away with ditching them to hang out with Prewett?" Lily asked disbelievingly.

"Oh, that's the best part!" Sadie exclaimed happily. "It was actually Sirius's idea! He overheard Gid ask me, and when I said that I had made plans already, Sirius stepped in and said that we could take care of our stuff real fast in the morning so that Gideon and I could go out in the afternoon!"

The other girls stared at her in shocked silence for a moment. Finally, Alice spoke carefully.

"Sirius...Sirius did?"

Sadie nodded brightly. "I was surprised too! I know that he really doesn't care much for Gideon. But he really is the best friend!"

Her dormmates looked at each other with brows furrowed in thought.

"What is it?" Sadie asked nervously.

Lily cleared her throat, and smiled at her friend. "Nothing. Just surprised that Sirius was so okay with you going out with...Prewett. Now, I believe you said something about getting ready for your date?"

The girls chattered excitedly as they all jumped into action.

* * *

A few hours later, Sadie spotted Gideon waiting for her outside the Three Broomsticks. She quickly said goodbye to James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter before making her way over to him. Gideon grinned when he saw her and met her halfway.

"You look amazing!" He told her sincerely. She and the girls had decided on white skinny jeans with a sheer, peach shirt over a white lacy tank top. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, and she wore just enough makeup to bring out her hazel eyes and full, pink lips.

Sadie smiled shyly. "Thank you."

"Shall we go in?" Gideon asked before placing a hand on her back and gently guiding her into the pub. They sat down and ordered their drinks: a butterbeer for Gideon and a cherry soda for Sadie. Gideon placed his forearms on the table and leaned forward, blue eyes twinkling.

"I wrote you a poem!" He announced proudly, though Sadie could see the mischief in his eyes. "Would you like to hear it?"

"Oh, please!" A slight quirk of her lips was the only sign of her amused curiosity. Gideon cleared his throat dramatically.

"Sadie Mae Potter

I like her a lot-er

Fabian says that it's more than I ought-er

He claims that I don't have a chance 'cause she's hotter

Than I'll ever be, why she's cute as an otter!

He's right, and that's why I'm so glad that I got her

To come on this date with me, sweet Fleamont's daughter!"

Sadie, who had been stifling giggles through the whole thing, burst into laughter and applause at the end. Gideon looked quite pleased with himself as he stood and gave a couple of dramatic bows. He sat back down and grinned widely at her until she finished laughing.

"Think I could give ol' Willie Shakesmith a run for his money?"

"Oh, I'm sure!" She nodded teasingly, noticing that they had drawn the attention of the entire pub. She ignored them and leaned toward her date conspiratorially. "Though you might want to learn to say his name properly first."

Gideon chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "Nah. No one will even notice after they hear the magnificence of my, what was it? 'Romantic, beautiful, and complex' words?"

Sadie giggled and thanked Madam Rosmerta as she handed them their drinks. "Oh, naturally. And if that fails, then you've always got your good looks and charm to fall back on."

"You think I'm good looking?" He smirked at her. Sadie felt her face heat up, but she forced an air of nonchalance.

"Sure," she shrugged. "You've got that whole blue-eyes, soft-looking hair, big smile, chiseled body thing going for you."

Gideon laughed. "That's a thing?"

"No," Sadie admitted with a grin. "I was just describing you."

He gave another laugh and gazed at her affectionately. His eyes flicked down to her lips for a brief moment before he cleared his throat and took a sip of his butterbeer.

The rest of the afternoon passed much in the same manner. They stayed at the Three Broomsticks for a while, flirting and laughing, before moving on to Honeydukes, where Gideon bought her as many cauldron cakes as she could carry. They spent time in Gladrag's Wizardwear and took turns picking out the most ridiculous outfits they could find for each other to model. Eventually, the shop owner kicked them out after realizing they weren't there to buy anything, and all too soon, the pair found themselves walking back to the castle.

Sadie was laughing at one of Gideon's jokes when she felt his warm hand slip into her smaller one. Blushing, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye to see him looking casually ahead, though she could have sworn the tips of his ears were slightly pink. Unable to contain a smile, she turned her hand in his to lace their fingers together. The corners of his mouth curved upward slightly as he turned his head to look at her. Neither of them said much as they walked the rest of the way up to Gryffindor Tower. Gideon helped her through the portrait hole and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"I promised Fabian I would meet him on the pitch before dinner," he told her apologetically. "I had such a good time. Can we...do it again?"

Sadie gave him a shy smile and nodded. He grinned and squeezed her hand once before disappearing through the portrait hole again. She sighed happily and bit her lip, turning to see every one of her friends watching her expectantly. Mary was the first to speak.

"That was so cute!" She squealed. "You guys are adorable together!" She grabbed Sadie's hand and pulled her to the couch, wanting to hear all the details.

James and Sirius rolled their eyes and turned away, though it was obvious they were still listening. Remus just shook his head with a smile and went back to his book. Peter was looking between Sadie, Sirius, and James with wide eyes. Marlene, Lily, Alice, and Mary all gathered around Sadie in excitement.

"How was it?" Alice, ever the practical one, asked first.

"It was fun," Sadie shrugged with a light smile.

"Fun?" Lily stared at her incredulously. "_Fun?_ You've liked this guy for over four years now! You finally get to go on a date with him, and all you can say is that it was _fun?"_

Sadie giggled. "Okay, it was kind of amazing!"

"Did he snog you?" Marlene got right down to it. Sadie saw James and Sirius stiffen out of the corner of her eye.

"No," she shook her head with a blush. The boys visibly relaxed. "We just...talked. He held my hand and kissed my cheek, but you saw that. That's it."

Marlene looked disappointed, but Mary sighed dreamily.

"That is so romantic!" She gushed. "He cares about you enough to wait until the moment is right!"

Sadie grinned and shook her head fondly at her friend. "We'll see," she said noncommittally, though secretly she hoped Mary was right.

Sirius was the first to go down to dinner. He had given her a smile before he had left, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, and he didn't say anything as he walked out of the common room. One by one, each of the other students left to eat as well until it was only Sadie and James left. They sat on the couch in companionable silence, Sadie's head resting on her brother's shoulder.

"Is Sirius okay?" She asked after a few moments, sitting up to look her twin in the eyes. James avoided her gaze and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Er...yeah," he answered hesitantly. "I think he's just worried that we aren't going to have our animagus forms ready by the next full moon..."

Sadie frowned. "Is that it?" James cleared his throat and nodded stiffly. "I think we'll be fine. We're still planning on working on them all day tomorrow, right?"

"Right..." James furrowed his brow. "But, I mean, what if Prewett wants to do something with you tomorrow?" Sadie looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Just..." James hesitated. "Would you choose to hang out with him instead?"

"Of course not!" Sadie shook her head vehemently. "This is way more important than any old boy will ever be!"

James smiled and stood, pulling her up with him. "I knew we could count on you."

"Is that what Sirius is worried about?" Sadie asked in surprise.

"...yeah. Yeah that's...that's what he's worried about."

Sadie laughed. "How silly! I'll talk to him and clear that right up!"

James nodded with an awkward smile. "Let's go get food."

* * *

The Great Hall was abuzz with chatter as people recounted their time spent in Hogsmeade that day. James and Sadie made their way down the Gryffindor table to where their friends were chatting away happily. James sat down next to Lily, much to the redhead's annoyance, while Sadie slid next to Sirius.

"Hey." She placed a hand on his forearm.

He raised a questioning eyebrow at her and swallowed the bite he was chewing. "Hey."

She took a deep breath. "I just want you to know that I'm going to follow through with our plans tomorrow no matter what." Sirius still looked confused.

"Er...alright. Thanks Sade."

"No matter what other opportunities might arise," she added meaningfully. Realization dawned on Sirius, and he fought back a grin at how endearing she was. Instead, he nodded at her with a serious expression.

"Ah. Yes. I wouldn't have doubted you for a second."

Sadie gave him a look that clearly suggested she knew otherwise, but didn't get the chance to respond as Gideon suddenly squeezed himself between the two of them, slipping an arm around her waist and resting his hand on her opposite hip. Sirius glared darkly at his plate, and Gideon glanced at him with a smug expression. Sadie, oblivious to the tension between them, just smiled up at the seventh year adoringly.

"Hi," she said breathlessly, and Gideon grinned.

"Hey, Beautiful." His grin widened as she flushed with pleasure. Mary looked like she might swoon at the cuteness of it all. "Miss me?"

Sadie rolled her eyes teasingly. "So much. How did I ever survive two hours without you?"

He shook his head with mock gravity. "I honestly don't know. But don't worry, I'm here now." His thumb was drawing lazy circles on her hip, giving her goosebumps as he brushed against the skin under her shirt. He acted innocently enough but one look at the subtle smirk on his face told her that he knew exactly what he was doing. She narrowed her eyes at him, and his smirk grew, but he pulled his hand away from her hip and instead threaded their fingers together under the table. "Anyway, listen, do you want to have lunch with me down by the lake tomorrow?"

Sadie could feel four pairs of eyes watching her in anticipation. She looked up at Gideon with an apologetic smile. "Can I take a rain check? I've got to work on my Transfiguration tomorrow. I'm struggling with some of the material. Maybe Monday instead?"

"Oh, alright," he nodded in understanding. "I could help you if you want. Transfiguration is my best subject."

Sadie shook her head and gave his hand a squeeze. "I was going to work on it with the guys. I'll let you know if I need further help though. Thank you." She leaned up and pecked his cheek shyly. Gideon seemed to accept her answer and busied himself with gathering food onto his plate. Sadie sent Remus a wink, and he smiled at her gratefully.

* * *

Late that night, after everyone else had gone to bed, Sadie and Sirius lay on the floor next to each other, watching the dying embers in the fireplace. Sadie had let her hair out of her ponytail, and it was now splayed across the ground, the ends tickling the sides of Sirius' neck. They laughed quietly as they discussed random things, sometimes falling into playful arguments.

"Oh, 'Abbey Road.' Hands down," Sirius told her confidently. Sadie wrinkled her nose.

"'Abbey Road?' Really?" She shook her head. "Definitely 'A Hard Day's Night.' The Beatles' earlier stuff is their best."

Sirius looked at her as though she were the Antichrist. "You're mental! They got way better towards the end!"

"What, after all the drugs and stuff? No, thank you," she responded, laughing. "Okay, how about this? Best Beatle. Ready, go."

They looked at each other and rolled their eyes before saying in unison, "Ringo."

Sirius gave her a look. "Too easy."

"Hey!" Sadie frowned at him playfully. "Your turn then! Come up with something better!"

Sirius pondered for a moment. "Dream vacation. And don't you dare say Disneyland."

"I wasn't going to say Disneyland!" Sadie smacked his arm. "Hmmm...Probably...Bali. White sandy beaches, swimming in the ocean, saving baby turtles, fresh mango and pineapple, bikinis all day, every day, the works." Sirius swallowed hard at that imagery. "Your turn. Dream vacation."

"Disneyland," Sirius grinned at her. She elbowed him in the ribs and stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed. "But Bali sounds pretty cool too."

Sadie sighed and curled up against him, laying her head on his chest and closing her eyes drowsily. Sirius felt his heart begin to race and prayed with all his might that she was too tired to notice. "Let's go someday, okay?" She yawned. "To Bali. And Disneyland, I guess. Promise?"

Sirius stroked her hair softy and smiled as she drifted off to sleep. "Promise."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! And thanks to everyone who has favorited and followed! Let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 4

Sadie groaned as she woke up to chattering students making their way down to breakfast. Opening her eyes, she sat up to find herself on the couch in the common room, a warm blanket tucked around her body. She blinked in confusion, trying to remember how she had gotten there.

"Morning, Sadie." Remus was sitting at the other end of the couch. He licked his finger and turned the page of his book. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah..." Sadie frowned. Her werewolf friend looked up at her with a smile.

"You fell asleep last night talking to Sirius. He can't get into the girl's dorms, so he set you up on the couch."

She nodded, her memories returning to her. "Right. Er...I guess I'd better go shower. Has everyone gone to breakfast already?" Remus shook his head.

"They were all still sleeping when I came down. Sirius woke up long enough to tell me to keep an eye on you before he passed out again."

Sadie giggled. "Alright then. Thanks, Rem. I'll be back down shortly."

As soon as Sadie walked into her dorm room, Marlene pounced on her.

"Where were you last night?" She demanded. "Were you with Prewett?" The other girls stared at her expectantly.

Sadie laughed. "What? No! I was with Sirius!" Her friends gaped at her in shock. Sadie rolled her eyes. "Not like that, you dunderheads! We were just hanging out and talking!"

"All night?" Alice raised her eyebrows. Sadie shrugged.

"Not all night. Just late. I ended up sleeping on the couch."

The girls all grumbled and went back to getting ready for the day, feeling rather putout. Sadie shook her head in amusement and shut herself in the bathroom to shower.

* * *

That afternoon found Sadie, James, Sirius, and Peter sitting cross-legged in the Room of Requirement, breathing deeply and trying to clear their thoughts. Remus was there for emotional support and was currently resting his head against the wall with his eyes closed. Each of the aspiring animagi had seen bits and pieces of their animal forms, but none of them had managed to complete a full transformation yet. They had finished the process necessary to become animagi, but actually taking form had proven much more difficult than any of them had anticipated.

They had been there for several hours, and Remus was beginning to lose hope when he heard an excited squeaking sound. He popped one eye open to see an orange rat scampering around the room. Remus stared for a moment before turning to his friends. Sirius, Sadie, and James were also watching the rat with wide eyes.

"No way," Sirius muttered. "No way Peter did it first."

Sadie nudged his shoulder. "It's amazing!" She beamed at the rodent in front of her, and, suddenly, Peter was back, looking between his friends excitedly.

"Did you see that?!" He exclaimed. "That was wicked! I've never felt anything like it!"

Each of his four friends stepped forward in turn to congratulate him. Remus and Peter then took seats against the wall again to allow the other three the peace and quiet they needed.

A couple of hours later, James was prancing around as a stag, and Sirius was chasing him as a shaggy black dog. James had done it before Sirius and had no problem reminding everyone of that fact. Sadie smiled at her friends but was beginning to feel discouraged.

James and Sirius joined Remus and Peter and gave Sadie supportive smiles. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again, blocking out as many thoughts as she could manage. After what seemed like an eternity, she felt a strange tingling sensation traveling from her head to her toes. When she opened her eyes, her friends were standing over her, most of them trying to hide their smiles. Sirius was failing, and James wasn't even trying.

"Sadie!" He burst out laughing. "You...you're..."

"A monkey!" Sirius finished, grinning delightedly. Sadie blinked and looked down at her body, feeling a bit surreal as she took note of the white fur that now covered her torso. She held out her hands in front of her face to see black fingers and furry yellow arms. Turning her head, she jumped at the sight of a long, black-tipped tail flicking around behind her. She opened her mouth to squeal, but it came out sounding more like a whistle. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and transformed back.

"I'm a monkey," was all she could think to say.

"You're adorable," Sirius told her matter-of-factly.

Sadie cleared her throat. "Ah...what kind of monkey?" Everyone shrugged their shoulders except Remus.

"A squirrel monkey," he answered. "I saw one at a zoo once," he added defensively when he saw everyone staring at him.

There were a few moments of silence as it seemed to finally sink in that they had actually done it. It had been two years since the idea had first come to them. It had seemed impossible at the time, and yet, here they were, full-fledged animagi. At the age of fifteen. Sadie sank to the floor, and soon her friends joined her, each of them wrapping their arms around each others shoulders, content to simply enjoy one another's presence.

* * *

Sadie's relationship with Gideon continued to grow over the next couple of weeks, and it became rare to see one without the other outside of classes. This meant, much to the dismay of James and Sirius, that the seventh year was spending more and more time with their group of friends. While there was definitely still some underlying tension, the boys were careful to act friendly as long as Sadie was around.

The evening before their first Quidditch match of the season, Sadie and Gideon found themselves down by the lake. Gideon sat leaning against the trunk of a tree while Sadie rested between his outstretched legs, laying back against his chest. His arms were wrapped loosely around her small frame, and his cheek rested against the side of her head.

"I think I want to be a healer," Sadie announced quietly. She turned her head to look at him, and he smiled, encouraging her to continue. "I want to help people. And with all the crazy stuff going on in the world..." Her brow furrowed. "I just think that's the best way that I could contribute. I suppose I could be an auror, like you, but...I'm not sure I could handle that."

Gideon looked at her warmly. "I think you would be a great healer," he told her sincerely. "You put people at ease. You've got the kindest eyes and the sweetest smile...I've never met anyone who could so easily bring hope to a seemingly hopeless situation. And you just...love people so naturally and easily. I think those are the most important qualities in a healer." His eyes searched her face, and Sadie's breath caught in her throat at the intensity in his gaze.

"You really think so?" She breathed. She didn't notice herself leaning closer to him, eyes fluttering shut.

"I do," he murmured, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek gently. "I think you're absolutely incredible." He stroked her cheek with his thumb as he pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers.

It was soft and sweet and lasted only a brief moment. Gideon pulled away slowly and rested his forehead against hers, and Sadie looked up at him with shining eyes before shifting so that she was kneeling and facing him full on. She swallowed hard and hesitantly threaded her fingers through his hair, bringing their lips together once more.

Gideon had been with several girls before and wanted nothing more than to snog this beautiful creature within an inch of her life. But he sensed the nervousness that came with her inexperience and so was careful not to rush things. He held and caressed her with such a gentleness that Sadie thought she might weep. She whimpered quietly as he wrapped his arms around her body and drew her closer to him until she was settled comfortably in his lap. He moved to place soft kisses down her jaw and to her neck, groaning when she gasped and pressed her body closer to his.

That was as far as he allowed himself to go. He made his way back up to capture her lips once again before pulling away, smirking slightly at her involuntary whine of protest.

"It's past curfew," he pointed out, gently tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm assuming you don't want Filch to catch us out here like this."

Sadie blushed and bit her lip with a shy smile. "I suppose not," she admitted. Gideon laughed softly and helped her to her feet. After placing one last fleeting kiss to her lips, he wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her back toward the castle and up to the common room. They said their goodnights, and Sadie practically floated up the stairs to her dormitory, sank into her bed, and slipped into happy dreams.

* * *

"THAT'S ANOTHER TEN POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR! THOSE POTTER TWINS ARE ON FIRE TODAY!"

Sadie grinned confidently as she and James high-fived before taking off down the Quidditch pitch again. They were beating Ravenclaw 120-40, and the Gryffindors in the stands were going wild. James and Sadie were in perfect sync with the quaffle, their keeper, Gideon's brother Fabian, had made some fantastic saves, and morale was high. Sadie wove in and out of players and managed to successfully steal the quaffle from Ravenclaw's chaser.

She turned just in time to see the bludger flying toward her before Sirius intercepted it, knocking it toward Ravenclaw's chaser.

"Watch yourself, Sadie Mae!" He scolded playfully as she tore down the field again.

"Why should I when you do such a good job of it for me?" She called over her shoulder with a grin. She tossed the quaffle through the left hoop just before the commentator shouted:

"SADIE POTTER SCORES AGAIN JUST AS GRYFFINDOR SEEKER, MARY MACDONALD CATCHES THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS WITH A SCORE OF 180 TO 40!"

The Gryffindor team met in the middle of the field, jumping up and down in celebration. James tackled his sister in a hug with a loud whoop. Sadie giggled, jumping on his back, and he ran around in a zigzag pattern before tripping and sending them both tumbling to the ground. Sirius laughed and helped them both up, pulling Sadie into a side hug.

"Good game, Sadie Mae," he smiled at her. She stood on her toes and pecked his cheek. She was about to respond when Gideon grabbed her waist from behind and spun her around to face him.

"You were amazing out there, Sade," he told her proudly before cupping her face in his hands and smashing his lips against hers. They broke apart at the sound of their teammates whooping and hollering and grinned sheepishly.

Sadie turned back around to talk to Sirius, but he was gone. She frowned and looked around for him for a moment before she was distracted by Mary flinging her arms around her neck and chatting gaily about the game as well as the kiss she had just witnessed.

James frowned as he watched his best friend trudge dejectedly toward the locker room.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Sirius... :( But don't worry! His time will come! Thanks for reading! **


	6. Chapter 5

Sirius didn't join in the party in the common room that night. He could hear the festivities going on below him, but he was definitely not in the mood to celebrate. Instead, he lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. This was how his friends found him after a couple of hours. They simply sat quietly on their own beds, waiting for Sirius to speak.

"She's never really dated anyone before." His voice was hollow when he finally broke the silence. "I guess I didn't realize how much it would hurt." He paused for a moment before asking timidly, "Do you think they'll last?"

The other boys hesitated before James spoke up quietly. "For a little while at least. I don't know how long. But they do seem, you know, pretty happy. For now." Sirius swallowed thickly but didn't respond.

Remus took a deep breath. "Maybe...maybe it's time to try to move on..." he suggested kindly.

"I've already tried that lots of times," Sirius snapped. James rolled his eyes.

"Casual flings with all the random girls who make eyes at you? That doesn't count, Sirius."

Sirius didn't respond, choosing instead to stare moodily at the curtains on his bed. Surprisingly, it was Peter who approached him next.

"We know you've liked Sadie forever," he began carefully. "And maybe she'll come around someday. I mean, come on, you're Sirius Black! The most wanted guy at Hogwarts!" The corners of Sirius's mouth quirked ever so slightly at that. Encouraged, Peter continued. "But, until that happens, trying to legitimately date someone else might not be such a bad idea. At best, you might decide you actually like the new girl more than you like Sadie. And, at worst," he shrugged. "You'll learn what you definitely don't want in a girl. No matter what happens...some sort of good has got to come of it, right?" James and Remus were staring at Peter in amazement. Sirius was looking slightly hopeful.

"You might be right..." he mused. Then he frowned slightly. "But...I wouldn't even have any idea who to ask out."

"Cynthia Schaffer," Peter suggested promptly as though he had already given this a fair bit of thought.

James gaped at him. "_Cynthia Schaffer?_" He asked incredulously. "The Ravenclaw?" Peter nodded confidently. "She's, like, the polar opposite of Sadie!"

"Exactly," Peter answered slowly, as though he were explaining something to a child. "The point is for Sirius to move on. He's not going to be able to fall for somebody different if that somebody different is just Sadie Potter 2.0. We need someone who will remind him of Sadie as little as possible. Besides, if anyone's got a chance with Cynthia, it's Sirius." James still didn't look convinced, but Remus seemed thoughtful.

"You've got a point, Peter. I think it's a good idea." They all turned to look at Sirius.

"Cynthia's hot..." he admitted. The other three boys grinned at each other, knowing that they had convinced him.

* * *

If girls like Sadie Potter and Lily Evans were pretty, then Cynthia Schaffer was supermodel material. She had a tall, lithe frame that curved in all the right places. Her long, black hair fell in effortless curls around her face and shoulders and contrasted beautifully with her pale, flawless skin. The blue hue of her eyes was otherworldly, and her full lips were the perfect shade of red. Cynthia knew she was gorgeous and walked with that air of confidence that most girls aspire to. One glance from her was enough to send most boys running with their tails between their legs.

Luckily, Sirius Black was not most boys. The morning after the Quidditch match, he entered the Great Hall and strode confidently to the Ravenclaw table, an attractive smirk on his face. He slid gracefully into the seat next to Cynthia, ignoring the giggles of her friends. She regarded him coolly out of the corner of her eye, though there was the slightest hint of an intrigued smile on her face.

"Hey, Cyn," Sirius began casually. "Is it okay if I call you Cyn?"

She raised one eyebrow. "It seems you just did."

Sirius grinned.

* * *

Over at the Gryffindor table, the boys were watching the exchange with bated breath. Sadie and Gideon were in their own little world when Alice suddenly gasped.

"Is...is Sirius trying to chat up Cynthia?"

The rest of their friends looked up and began muttering to each other, watching the pair with interest. They saw Sirius help the Ravenclaw out of her seat, and the exited the Great Hall together, seemingly oblivious to the whispers of everyone around them. Sadie gave a light laugh.

"Go Sirius! I suppose he's got a better shot with her than any other boy at the school!"

Gideon frowned slightly. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, I mean, look at him!" Sadie exclaimed, gesturing toward her best friend. "He's kind of insanely attractive! Pretty much every girl in the school has a thing for him!"

"Is that so?" Gideon did not sound pleased, but his girlfriend didn't seem to notice.

"Plus he's funny! _And_ sweet! He's basically perfection," she nodded matter-of-factly.

Gideon scoffed. "Oh, is that what you think?" Sadie looked confused at his tone.

"Well...yeah!" Her brow furrowed. Their friends were looking back and forth with wide eyes between the pair. "Any girl would be lucky to have him."

Gideon snorted in derision. "Well, if that's how you feel..." He stood up abruptly. "Whatever, Sade. I've got to get to class."

"Wha-Gid..." Sadie began, but the redhead was already walking away.

"Sadie..." Lily groaned. "And here I thought you had more tact than your brother..." James frowned at her.

Sadie blinked, looking upset. "What did I do?"

Marlene rubbed her eyes tiredly. "You can't just gush about some other guy in front of your boyfriend..." Sadie wrinkled her nose.

"Sirius is my best friend!" She declared loyally. "I can talk about how great he is!" Then she glared at Marlene. "And I wasn't _gushing!_"

Alice sighed. "Well, whoever he is and whatever you were doing, Gideon's jealous."

"Of Sirius?" Sadie laughed in disbelief. "But...it's just Sirius!"

"Well," Lily began slowly. "You and Sirius are very close, and you guys flirt pretty much constantly. And, like you were saying, just about every girl in Hogwarts has had a crush on him at one point or another. Is it really so unreasonable for Gideon to feel at least a little threatened by your relationship?"

"We don't flirt..." Sadie argued weakly but stopped when she saw every one of her friends staring at her incredulously. "We just..." She sighed and gave up. "I guess you're right. I should probably go talk to Gid..." She stood and hurried after her boyfriend.

Lily looked exasperated. "Do you think she'll ever figure it out?"

"She and Prewett are so cute," Mary sighed wistfully. "But, boy, what I wouldn't give to have someone look at me the way Sirius looks at her."

The other fifth years slowly nodded in agreement.

* * *

**A/N: A bit of a shorter chapter, but this just seemed like the best place to end it. Once again, thanks to everyone for reading and for your support! Remember to review! ;)**


	7. Chapter 6

It didn't take long for Sirius and Cynthia to become the hottest couple at Hogwarts. They went everywhere together, and on more than one occasion, Sadie saw one of them yanking the other into a broom cupboard or empty classroom. She would smile and shake her head in amusement, glad that her friend seemed happy.

"I've never seen him date anyone this seriously," she told Gideon one afternoon as they relaxed on the grass, her head resting comfortably on his lap. They were watching Sirius attempt to teach his new girlfriend how to skip rocks on the Black Lake. "They're really cute together."

Gideon simply gave her a fond look and continued to run his fingers through her hair. They had made up fairly quickly after Sadie had apologized for her insensitivity and assured him that she had no feelings for Sirius whatsoever. Gideon had admitted that he knew that deep down and promised that he would try to be more understanding in the future.

Sadie shivered slightly in the chilly October air. "Let's go inside," she suggested. "It's cold, and I've got a Charms essay to work on anyway." Gideon nodded and helped her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist as they walked back toward the castle.

"Ugh homework..." He wrinkled his nose at her teasingly as she pulled out a piece of parchment when they got into the common room. "Does this mean you're going to ignore me for the next several hours?"

Sadie looked at him apologetically. "It's due tomorrow..." He smiled at her and kissed her cheek.

"It's alright." Then he leaned closer to her ear and murmured, "Make it up to me later? Meet me in the common room after everyone else has gone to bed." He winked and walked away, leaving Sadie to bite her lip at his implication.

They had been taking it fairly slow. Sadie had never even kissed anyone before Gideon, and he was respectful of that. They had been together for nearly a month now, and the most he had done was caress her breasts through the fabric of her bra. That was a feeling that she found she couldn't quite get enough of, and she almost wished that he would push her just a little bit more.

Almost. She really was grateful that he hadn't yet made her do anything she wasn't comfortable with. It made her fall for him all the more.

"Hey, Sade."

Sadie jumped at the sound of her brothers voice, shaking her previous thoughts out of her head in embarrassment. James didn't seem to notice, however, and simply sat down across from her and pulled out his own parchment.

"Hi Jamie," she smiled at him. "Charms?

He nodded. "You too?"

"Yes, sir," she sighed. They worked quietly for the next little while, occasionally asking the other for an opinion or note that they had forgotten. They finished around the same time, and Sadie set her quill down and stretched.

"Sirius thinks we need codenames," James informed her.

"Codenames?" Sadie raised her eyebrows.

James shrugged. "Yeah. For our...more animalistic sides." She blinked.

"But...why?"

"It's Sirius," James chuckled. "Do you really need any other explanation?"

She giggled. "I suppose not."

"I just wanted to give you a heads up," he grinned at her. "So that you can start thinking of your ideas before Sirius decides to call you Urine-Sleeves or something of the sort."

Sadie grimaced at the reference to her animagus's yellow arms. Yes, that was definitely the sort of thing Sirius would come up with.

There had been one full moon since the group had completed their animagus transformations. It had been surprisingly uneventful, and Remus had told them that it was the easiest full moon he could ever remember having. That was all the encouragement they needed to make sure they were there with him every month that they could possibly make it work.

"Hey, Evans!" James called suddenly, reaching a hand up to mess up his hair. Sadie groaned and covered her face with her hands. Lily had just walked through the portrait hole. "Want to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?"

Sadie peeked through her fingers to see Lily looking at him disdainfully.

"Are you the last male on earth, Potter?"

James looked confused. "Erm...no..."

"Then definitely not." She gave Sadie a friendly smile before disappearing up the stairs to their dormitory.

James had a rather annoyed expression on his face. "What's her deal?"

Sadie just shrugged awkwardly, not wanting to get in between her brother and her best girl friend. He grumbled to himself for a moment but quickly shook it off.

"So, how's Prewett?" His tone was casual, but Sadie knew that the question was anything but.

"Good," she told him with a genuine smile. "I'm so happy, Jamie. He treats me so well."

James nodded. "Alright. You let me know if that changes though, alright?" Sadie just hummed noncommittally. She doubted that Gideon would change his behavior toward her, but even if he did, she wouldn't want James to go after him. She could fight her own battles, after all. James sighed and ruffled her hair before standing up.

"I'm going to dinner. Want to join me?"

"That's alright," she told him. "Thank you though." James nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets before exiting through the portrait hole.

* * *

Several hours later, Sadie quietly slipped out of her bed and crept down the stairs into the common room. Gideon was already there, lounging in front of the fire with his hands behind his head.

"Hey," he greeted softly. He stood and grabbed her hand before collapsing onto the sofa, pulling her down with him. "Did you finish your essay?"

"I did," she affirmed, resting her head on his chest and shyly fingering the hem of his shirt. She tilted her head up to look at him through her eyelashes. "I'm all yours."

Gideon's eyes darkened, and, before she could even blink, he had her pinned beneath his body, his lips meeting hers almost urgently. Sadie gave a soft moan of approval and wrapped her arms around his neck, needing him closer. He wasted no time in slipping his hands under her shirt, running them softly up and down her sides.

But Sadie wanted more. She tugged his shirt over his head and allowed him to return the favor. She let out a gasp at the feeling of his bare skin on hers, and he groaned as she raked her nails lightly up his back. Hesitantly, he reached behind her and brushed his fingers against the clasp of her bra. When she made no move to stop him, he unhooked it and pulled the garment off of her, breathing heavily as he pulled back slightly to gaze at her body. Sadie bit her lip and looked away nervously.

"Merlin, you're gorgeous," he growled before dipping his head and placing light kisses along her collar bone. His hand came up to cup her, kneading gently.

"Gid!" She let out a strangled gasp and arched into his touch. Encouraged, he massaged her harder, bringing his lips up to claim hers once more.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF SALAZAR'S PREJUDICED LEFT TESTICLE IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Sadie jumped, letting out a squeak and burying her face in Gideon's chest in embarrassment. Gideon, on the other hand, calmly grabbed his shirt and handed it to Sadie so she could cover herself before they both sat up and looked toward the entrance to the boys dormitories. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were all standing there. Remus and Peter were averting their eyes in embarrassment. Sirius wore an unreadable expression. And James, well, James looked livid.

"Hello, lads," Gideon grinned cheekily. "Where are you headed this late at night?"

"The kitchens," Peter piped up helpfully. Sirius elbowed him in the ribs, silently telling him to shut up.

James was shaking, his face red. "You...you..." he seethed.

"Take your time." Gideon sounded bored. Sadie cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"You should go," she told Gideon quietly. "I'll handle this."

He frowned at her. "I don't want to leave you-"

"No, seriously," she interjected, giving him a pleading look. "This will be better for everyone."

Gideon sighed and nodded in resignation. He stood up and made his way to his dormitory, giving the boys a mock salute as he passed them. Sadie rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

"Alright, James," she said tiredly. "Have at it."

Her brother sat down next to her, and grabbed her hands, searching her face frantically. "Did he hurt you? How far did he push you?"

"What?" Sadie shook her head in exasperation. "No, he didn't hurt me. And he wasn't pushing me at all. If anything, it was the other way around!"

James stared at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "But...but you...he can't...my sister..."

"James." Sadie gave him a stern look. "Yes, I am your sister. But I'm also just me. A fifteen-year-old girl in a committed relationship. This is the sort of thing you do with your significant other. Just ask Sirius!"

Sirius's mouth fell open, and he held up his hands. "Don't bring me into this, Sadie Mae," he pleaded. Remus rolled his eyes.

"Sirius, don't be a baby. James, don't be a drama queen. Sadie's right. She's perfectly entitled to snogging her boyfriend. What did you think they were doing all those times that they were alone together? Knitting sweaters?"

James still looked grumpy, but couldn't argue with their logic. Sadie looked relieved.

"Well, then!" She clapped her hands once and stood up. "I believe Peter said something about a trip to the kitchens?" She walked briskly through the portrait hole, and her friends, still feeling rather uncomfortable, followed just slightly behind her.

* * *

"I'm telling you!" Sirius was saying. "Ratatouille is the perfect name!"

"Sirius," Remus rolled his eyes. "Peter can't even say Ratatouille."

"Well, he doesn't have to say it!" Sirius insisted. "We're the ones who will be calling him that!"

Sadie giggled. "Don't you think it's a little conspicuous?"

"Oh, and 'Whiskers' isn't?" Sirius retorted, referencing her earlier idea for Peter's 'codename.'

The five friends sat in the kitchens, drinking hot chocolate and snacking on biscuits. Any awkwardness from their earlier encounter had been forgotten as they brainstormed name ideas for their animal forms.

"I still think Snout-Snout is a good idea for Remus," James reminded everyone.

Remus chucked a biscuit at him. "Absolutely not. It's Moony. We've already decided this."

"How come nobody's suggested anything for me?" Sirius pouted.

"I have one!" Sadie grinned at him. "'The Shag.'" Sirius glared at her as everyone else howled with laughter.

"What about Shaggy?" Peter asked.

Remus laughed. "Like from Scooby-Doo?" Sirius scrunched up his face.

"Nothing with the word 'shag' in it," he told them firmly.

"James should be Puffytail," Sadie smirked. James scowled at her.

"If anyone is going to be named after their tail, it's Peter! He has the most distinctive tail of any of us."

"Wormtail!" Peter suggested. Everyone went quiet.

"That's...kind of perfect," Sirius nodded. "Alright, so we have Moony and Wormtail."

"How about Padfoot for Sirius?" Remus proposed.

Sirius looked thoughtful. "I think I like it. I also think we should revisit PooSlinger for Sadie."

Sadie groaned. "I'm not even going to justify that with a response. I think we should focus on the antlers for James."

Everyone was quiet for a moment.

"How about Prongs?" Sirius spoke up after a moment. James nodded.

"Yeah, that's good. And maybe Sadie should be Pebbles."

Remus looked confused. "Pebbles?"

"Yeah! Her eyes look like black pebbles!"

Slowly, five heads began to bob up and down in agreement.

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, and Pebbles," Remus said approvingly.

"It's perfect!" Sirius looked like he might cry from joy.

The others shook their heads at him. Then, one by one, each of them burst into laughter, grateful for the friendship that the five of them shared.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Remember to review!**

**shayna. kasdan: My very first review! *sniffs* Thank you so much! I am so glad that you are enjoying it! And things are only beginning for Gideon, Sadie and Sirius! Muahaha!**


	8. Chapter 7

The day after she and Gideon had been caught in their little tryst, Sadie was exhausted. It had been nearly 3 in the morning by the time she had returned from the kitchens with the boys, and she was seriously regretting not getting to bed sooner. She and Remus sat next to each other in Potions, and he kept elbowing her under their desk whenever she would start to nod off.

"Ugh, I'm sorry, Rem," she muttered, patting her cheeks in an attempt to wake herself up. Their Invigorating Potion was coming along nicely in spite of her lack of focus. Her friend grinned at her.

"Late night?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know perfectly well. I will never understand how you lot are able to function on no sleep."

"No sleep?" Sirius piped up. He and Cynthia were paired together in the desk behind them. "I got a perfectly full 3 hours. What were you up to after we got back that kept you up the rest of the night, Sadie Mae?" He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Don't worry. I won't tell James if you and Prewett were finishing what we walked in on." Sadie flushed as her brother spluttered indignantly from across the aisle.

"James is right here and can hear everything you're saying!" He glared. "Sade...were you...?"

She waved him off. "Not that it's any of your business, but no. I did sleep. But 3 hours is not enough! How do you guys do it?"

"Ah, Sadie." Sirius reached forward and massaged her shoulders. "Someday we may teach you our ways, but until then...I mean...we are doing Invigorating Potions. You might need to bottle some up and survive off of that."

Sadie shrugged him off, yawning. "Oh no. You remember the last time I took a potion like this."

The three boys burst out laughing at the memory while Sadie giggled at her own foolishness. Cynthia was looking between them all with eyebrows raised in confusion. Sadie smiled shyly at her.

"Third year. We were doing Girding Potions. I figured I could use the extra stamina for exams. Only...I guess I'm a bit sensitive to its effects..."

"She's a lightweight," Sirius clarified with a grin. "She went into this sort of...frenzy. We could barely understand what she was saying for weeks because she would talk so fast. She was constantly running around doing things to try and relieve all her energy. She was definitely a bit messed up in the head for a while."

Remus chuckled. "We woke up in the middle of the night once to her organizing all of our underwear drawers. Who does that? Apparently she had already deep cleaned our entire dormitory and couldn't think of anything else to do."

"She ran laps around the Quidditch pitch for, like, 3 hours straight one time," James added. "Sirius literally had to tackle her and pin her to the ground so that she wouldn't hurt herself."

"I suggested a good long shag might do the trick, but she refused," Sirius shook his head ruefully. "Her loss, really." Sadie threw her quill at him.

"That literally never happened, you noodle!"

Sirius winked at her. Cynthia's eyes narrowed for the slightest of moments before she smiled sweetly and turned to the front of the classroom as Professor Slughorn announced that it was time to clean up. The students quickly did so, eager to leave the chilly dungeons. As Sadie and her friends walked out of the classroom, Cynthia placed a hand on her arm.

"Sadie, some of us Ravenclaw girls are having a girl's night tomorrow," she said with a smile. "You simply must come."

"Oh!" Sadie blinked in surprise. "I would love to! But...will it be in your common room?"

Cynthia nodded. "Yes. But just meet me at the entrance at 8:00. I'll let you in."

Sadie smiled at her. "Alright. Thanks Cynthia. I'm looking forward to it."

As they came to the end of a corridor, Sirius swept his girlfriend into a dramatic goodbye kiss before walking toward the Muggle Studies classroom with Sadie.

"So, a girl's night, huh?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

Sadie laughed and shrugged. "I guess so! I'll admit I'm a bit surprised she invited me. I'm glad that she did though. I figure I should probably get to know my best friend's girlfriend after all. You seem to be really into her."

Sirius cleared his throat and avoided her eyes. "Yeah, she's cool."

Sadie looped her arm through his and beamed up at him. "It's just so wonderful to see you so happy, Sir."

Sirius looked at her and smiled in spite of himself. He reached over with his free hand and tugged on her short braid. "You're the best, Sadie Mae."

* * *

Sadie was woken up the next morning by a familiar stillness and chill in the air. She sat bolt upright in bed and scrambled to the window, grinning delightedly when she saw a smooth blanket of snow covering the grounds. Practically bouncing, she raced to get dressed in her favorite winter clothes: dark skinny jeans, a plum colored sweater, light purple gloves, scarf, and hat, and black snow boots.

She bounded down the stairs, through the common room, and up to the fifth year boy's dormitory. Bursting through the door, she flung herself, Superman-style onto the bed she knew belonged to Sirius. She was met with a grunt of surprise and indignation as she landed hard on him.

"What in Merlin's name...Sadie Mae!" Sirius attempted to glare at her, but his grogginess spoiled the effect he was going for. She simply giggled and patted his cheeks.

"It _snowed!"_

His irritation was instantly forgotten as his face split into a childlike grin. Sadie laughed and climbed off of him so that he could get up and throw some clothes over the boxers that he had slept in. The other three boys had been awoken by the commotion and now watched in amusement as Sadie grabbed Sirius by the hand and practically dragged him out of the dormitory.

So great was their hurry that Sadie nearly collided with Gideon as she turned into the common room. He caught her by the arms just in time and grinned at her.

"Hey, Sade! Want to go-"

Sadie cut him off with a quick kiss. "Sorry, Gid, we've got to go. It_ snowed!_"

Gideon looked extremely put out as he watched the pair disappear through the portrait hole. A small chuckle came from behind him, and he turned to see Lily gazing at him over the top of the book she was reading.

"Don't mind them," she smiled at him reassuringly. "They've got this tradition. Every year after the first snow, they spend the day outside sledding and building forts and having snowball fights and whatever else. Nobody else gets as excited about the snow as they do, so they go out and enjoy it together. The rest of us may go out and join them at some point, but we've found that it's usually best to give them a couple of hours to wear themselves out first. Honestly, they're like a couple of puppies."

Gideon still looked a bit disgruntled but gave her a grateful nod before shoving his hands in his pockets and heading down to breakfast on his own.

Out on the grounds, Sadie and Sirius ran as fast as they could to the top of the tallest hill and each transfigured a log into a sled. They quickly sat down on their respective vessels and grasped each others hands.

"Ready?" Sirius asked her, eyes gleaming.

"Always," she affirmed.

Together, they shoved off and began their descent. They had come to know this hill well over the years, and knew that they could reach fairly high speeds before coming to a slight ledge. They each leaned forward, trying to increase their speeds as they neared it. Sirius reached it first with Sadie only slightly behind him. They both launched into the air and got several seconds of air time before coming crashing to the ground and tumbling the rest of the way down the hill in a mess of limbs. They finally came to a stop when they slid hard into a snow bank.

Sirius had landed on his back with Sadie spread-eagle on top of his chest. She lifted her head up to make eye contact with him, and they both burst into delighted laughter. She scrambled off of him and threw her arms out, spinning in circles and occasionally bending down to fling handfuls of snow into the air over her head. Sirius gazed at her with a stupid grin on his face before shaking his head to clear it. Diving toward her, he grabbed onto her ankle and yanked it out from under her, sending her sprawling back down in the snow next to him. She gave him a playful pout and shoved a handful of snow in his face in retaliation. It didn't take long, after that, for an all out snowball war to ensue.

* * *

Several hours later, all of the 5th year Gryffindors sat huddled together in front of the fire in the common room, mugs of hot chocolate in each of their hands.

"I love when the first snow falls on a Saturday," Sadie sighed happily, resting her head on her brother's shoulder. He smirked.

"Yes we all appreciate it too. Otherwise we have to deal with you two yahoo's being antsy all day. It's right annoying."

Sirius flicked his ear on his other side. "You're just jealous that we're better at having fun than you are, Prongsie."

Sadie nodded in agreement, eyes shining with silent laughter. She stretched and stood up. "I suppose I had better go get ready to meet Cynthia." She chewed on her lip nervously. The other girls quickly stood with her.

"We'll help you," Alice told her. The five of them made their way up to the dormitory, and, before long, Sadie was ready to go.

"Before you go," Lily began hesitantly. "We just wanted to tell you not to let anything Cynthia says get to you."

Sadie laughed. "What do you mean?"

Mary pursed her lips. "I just...get the feeling that she isn't always the nicest person. We just don't want you to get hurt."

"I'll be fine," Sadie responded confidently. "She seems perfectly lovely. A bit more reserved than I'm used to, maybe, but that's fine!"

The other girls smiled and nodded. "I'm sure you're right," Lily replied. "But even so...just be prepared for anything."

Sadie rather thought that her friends were being a bit dramatic, but she simply smiled and thanked them and began her walk to Ravenclaw Tower. Cynthia was there waiting for her, and it wasn't long before Sadie found herself in the midst of the most thorough spa night she had ever been a part of. Her hair and face were each covered in masks of things she couldn't even pronounce, her feet were soaking in a basin of hot water, and one of Cynthia's friends, Julia, was filing away at her nails.

"You and that Gideon Prewett are so cute together," Cynthia told her without looking up from the copy of Witch Weekly that she was reading. "I just think it's so special that he sees your potential for coming into yourself a bit more."

Sadie laughed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know," Cynthia smiled sweetly. "This whole cutesy, childlike thing you've got going on. I just think he's darling for looking past it and being patient enough to wait for you to grow up."

"Oh..." Sadie answered dumbly, not entirely sure what to say. Cynthia laughed lightly.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's fun. And it probably gets you the attention you're looking for. At least temporarily. It's just most boys get sick of that sort of thing pretty quickly. I really hope Prewett continues to think it's worth it to wait for you to mature. I would just hate to see him break up with you over something like that. Especially when it really isn't your fault. And you're such a sweet person. You really deserve so much happiness" She smiled at Sadie and stood up. "Excuse me. It looks like Audrey needs a bit of help with her pedicure."

Sadie was quiet for the remainder of the evening and found herself quite unable to sleep when she got back to her dormitory. She lay curled up in her bed and stared blankly into the darkness, mind racing over Cynthia's comments until the first rays of sunlight shone through the windows.

* * *

**A/N: Wowza! Sorry it's been so long! Life has gotten a little crazy lately! But here's an update! Remember to review!**

**shayna. kasdan: I am so glad that you are enjoying it! I am really excited about some of the things I have planned! Stay tuned! ;)**

**Chiakaan: Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy it! Thank you for your positive review! It keeps me motivated! ;)**


	9. Chapter 8

Sadie spent much longer than usual getting ready the next morning. She chewed anxiously on her lower lip as she stared at her clothes, attempting to decide what to wear. She didn't have a lot of options other than pastels and polka dots but ultimately decided on a plain mint button-up and a dark blue pencil skirt that went down just past her knees. After charming her hair into a simple updo and putting on some light eye makeup and lip gloss, she slid her feet into a pair of black flats and made her way down to the great hall for breakfast.

As a result of her taking so long to get ready, she was the last of her friends to arrive at the Gryffindor table. The conversation quieted as she approached, and she was met with several pairs of wide eyes and slightly open mouths. Gideon was the first to recover.

"Wow, Sadie!" He beamed at her and scooted over to make room on the bench next to him. "You look great! So sophisticated! Do you, um, have something going on today?"

Sadie gave him a shy smile and awkwardly climbed over the bench to sit by him. "Oh, no, I just, um...I just decided maybe it was time for a change." She glanced up at Cynthia, who gave her a look of approval.

Gideon grinned and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Well, I like it! Bacon?"

Cynthia gave the slightest shake of her head, and Sadie looked down at what the other girl was eating. "Oh, no thank you, Gid. I think I'll just have some...fruit...and a piece of toast." Sirius stared at her from beside his girlfriend.

"You feeling alright, Sadie Mae?"

Sadie cleared her throat and forced a serene smile. "Of course I'm okay, Sirius. Why do you ask?"

He frowned at her in concern. "You seem...off."

Cynthia nudged him in the ribs. "Leave her alone, darling. She seems great!"

"Right..." He didn't look convinced but let the matter drop.

Sadie ate her breakfast as daintily as possible, trying to ignore the bewildered stares of her friends. It was James who addressed her next.

"Sadie, we were talking about going out and building snow forts! You in?"

Sadie felt excitement bubbling up in her chest. "Abso-" She felt Cynthia step on her toes under the table. "Oh...um...that is...I actually have to study...We've got that...History of Magic test later this week...sorry...um...excuse me..." She stood and walked quickly out of the great hall.

Her friends gaped after her.

"When has she ever cared about History of Magic?" Remus asked slowly.

James snorted. "When have any of us cared about History of Magic?"

Lily frowned deeply. "I have never known her to turn down an invitation to build snow forts."

"Okay, and can we talk about what she was wearing?" Marlene hissed.

"So not her," Mary agreed.

Cynthia looked at them all scathingly. "I think it's great that she is acting a little more mature! As her friends, you should be supportive."

Gideon nodded thoughtfully and stood up. "Maybe it is for the best. I'm going to go help her study."

Cynthia gave him an encouraging smile, which he returned before striding after his girlfriend.

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks, Sadie and Gideon grew closer than ever. He seemed thrilled that she was acting more serious, and she was happy that he was happy with her. However, she was starting to feel a little dysphoric and found herself silencing the curtains around her bed most nights so that she could break down in private. She didn't know how to talk about what she was feeling, and she convinced herself that it would pass if she could just keep up her behavior for a little while longer.

Even though her relationship with Gideon was growing stronger, she found herself very lonely. She had taken to avoiding her friends because she couldn't handle their looks of concern and their questions about what was going on with her.

In turn, Sirius was spending a lot more time with Cynthia. As much as he was worried about Sadie, he had to admit that he was having a much easier time overcoming his feelings for her now that she wasn't around as often and was acting so unlike the Sadie he had fallen for. He supposed this was a good thing and told himself that Sadie was just distant because she was happy with Prewett. If something was wrong and she needed his help, she would tell him. He was sure of it.

Well, mostly sure.

Sirius and Sadie were partners for a project in Muggle Studies. Each pair was assigned an era in muggle history that they were instructed to research. Then, at the end of the term, they were to use their creative license to present what they had learned to the class. Sadie and Sirius had been assigned the 1950's in America. They had begged their professor to let them switch to the Renaissance Era, but she had insisted that they knew quite enough about that already and that it was time for them to learn about something different.

And so they sat together in a corner of the Muggle Studies classroom, books splayed out in front of them. Sirius groaned and looked at Sadie with a pout.

"This is boring. The 50's weren't even that long ago. I was born in the 50's!"

Sadie glanced at him. "Barely. It's not like you actually experienced anything."

"That's not the point!" He threw his hands in the air. Sadie sighed and turned to give him a stern look.

"Sirius, if all you're going to do is complain, can you please do it somewhere else so that I can focus and actually try to get this project done?"

Her words and tone shocked both of them into silence. She had never once spoken to him like that before, and the hurt in his eyes nearly broke her heart.

"I'm so sorry," she mumbled, averting her eyes. "That was uncalled for."

Sirius swallowed his hurt feelings and grabbed her chin, gently pulling her gaze back up to his. "What's going on, Sadie Mae?" He asked softly. "You haven't been yourself for weeks now."

Sadie cursed inwardly as she felt her eyes well up with tears. "Nothing," she choked out. "I'm fine."

Sirius frowned at her darkly. "Is it Prewett? Is he hurting you somehow?"

"No, it's not Gideon," she snapped. "Blimey, I know you didn't like him before, but I honestly can't believe that you still think he's a jerk when he's been nothing but wonderful to me since we started dating. Just give it a rest, Sirius!"

Rather than feeling hurt this time, Sirius just felt his concern for his friend grow. "Sadie, I'm worried about you. Just...you would tell me, right? If something was really wrong?"

"I'm fine," she insisted, and he knew from her tone that the conversation was over.

* * *

Sadie swallowed hard as she stared at herself in the mirror. She was wearing matching lacy black underwear that Cynthia had helped her pick out during the last Hogsmeade weekend. She took a shuddering breath as she remembered the conversation they had had just prior to that excursion.

_"You haven't slept with him yet?!" Cynthia whispered in shock. "Wow. He's even more of an angel than I thought he was!"_

_"Really?" Sadie bit her lip. "Do you think...he'll start to resent me?"_

_Cynthia gave a short laugh. "Honey, I'm shocked that he doesn't already. I mean, a guy like Gideon? He's bound to have experience. I would definitely get impatient if I were him."_

_"So, you think...you think I should do it?"_

_The other girl gave her a kind smile. "I mean, you've been doing so well at being more mature, and he seems really pleased. I think sex would just really show him that you're serious about it."_

_Sadie's voice trembled slightly. "But...what if I'm not ready?"_

_"So what?" Cynthia shrugged. "It's for Gideon. And it's sort of like ripping off a band-aid. You just have to do it. It might take a little while, but eventually you will really enjoy it. I do have an idea though..."_

A loud knock on the bathroom door jolted Sadie from her thoughts. "Come on, Sadie!" Marlene called. "You aren't the only one that needs the bathroom!"

"Coming!" Sadie squeaked. She quickly pulled her dress on and opened the door. "Sorry, I got a little lost in thought. Um, I'm going to go...um...have dinner...with Gideon...um...bye." She sped out of the room, leaving her friends to exchange worried glances, unsure of what was going on with Sadie or how to help her.

All too soon, Sadie found herself slipping into the Room of Requirement where Gideon was waiting for her. It had taken the form of the Gryffindor common room, and he was lounging on the couch reading a book. He looked up and smiled when she walked in.

"Hey, Sade! I was starting to think you had forgotten about me."

She gave him a nervous smile. "Sorry. I was just getting ready." Gideon laughed.

"Ready for what?"

Heart pounding, Sadie climbed onto him, straddling his hips, and pressed her lips to his. He gave a groan of appreciation and wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer to him.

Sadie pulled back just slightly. "Gid," she murmured. "I want you. All of you."

Gideon's breath caught in his throat. He stared at her in shock for a moment before breathing out, "Are you sure?"

Summoning all of her courage, she nodded. Gideon grinned at her and flipped them so that he was on top before hungrily claiming her lips once more.

When it was done, Gideon wrapped her in tightly in his arms, breathing heavily. Sadie buried her face in his chest, trying to hide how not okay she was. This was wrong. This wasn't her. She wasn't ready for this, and she was pretending to be someone she wasn't. Gideon must have thought she was simply being affectionate, as he just kissed the top of her head and ran his hands through her hair. They were both quiet for several minutes, and Sadie was trying to figure out how to tell him the truth about how she was feeling when Gideon spoke.

"I want you to meet my family," he murmured. "Over the holidays."

That was enough of a shock for Sadie to forget her pain for a moment. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Your...your family?"

He nodded. "I've been thinking about it for a while now. I...I think I love you, Sade. You don't have to say it back yet, but I need to say it. You know, when we started dating, I liked you a lot. I did. But I wasn't sure how long it would last, you know? I figured I was so much older than you...we would have our fun for a while, but eventually the age difference would cause problems. But, Sadie, I don't know what happened, but...over the last few weeks, you've just...you're so mature. I...I think I see a real future with you. I...I love you, Sadie."

Sadie could only stare at him for several moments. Finally, she cleared her throat. "Gid...I..." He shushed her gently.

"You don't have to say anything yet. I'll give you some time. I've got detention soon anyway, so I need to go. But...just...think about it okay? We can talk more about it when you're ready." He kissed her softly before disentangling himself from her and pulling his clothes back on. "I love you," he told her firmly as he made his way out the door. "We'll talk more later." And with that, he left her alone with her thoughts.

Sadie stared at the door for what felt like an eternity before, unbidden, her body began to convulse with panicked sobs. She gasped for air and frantically looked around for her clothes. What she found instead was a pair of the softest, coziest pajamas she had ever seen. Silently thanking the Room of Requirement, she pulled them on and sat down in front of the fire, hugging her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth while she cried.

After a couple of hours, Sadie had calmed down slightly and just stared into the dying embers of the fire, hiccuping softly. So lost in thought was she, that she didn't even hear someone else enter the room until a quiet voice jolted her from her daze.

"Sadie?"

She jumped and whipped around to see Remus approaching her cautiously. One look at the concern in his eyes was enough to send her over the edge again, and she broke down into sobs. Remus was there in an instant, wrapping his arms around her while she cried into his shoulder.

"He..he told me...he said..." she gasped between sobs.

Remus rubbed her back softly. "Shhh. You're okay. Give it a minute. Then we can talk."

She nodded and allowed herself to cry for a few minutes until she was able to calm down. She took a shuddering breath and looked up at her werewolf friend with puffy eyes. "He told me he loves me," she mumbled hoarsely. Remus looked confused.

"But, isn't that a good thing?" he questioned.

Sadie shook her head. "He's wrong. He thinks he loves me, but he doesn't. At least, not the real me."

Remus nodded, seeming to understand. "Am I about to find out why you've been acting so odd?" Sadie bit her lip.

"Cynthia...she said that...well...she seemed to think that eventually Gideon would get tired of dating someone so much less...grown up than him...I knew I shouldn't change myself for some boy, but..." Her eyes filled with tears again. "I just liked him so much...It was stupid, I know..."

Remus shook his head. "It's a mistake anyone could make."

Sadie continued as though she hadn't heard him. "And now I'm in way too deep. He wants me to meet his family! Remus, I'm only fifteen!" She was starting to panic again, and Remus pulled her into another hug, whispering that everything would be okay.

After a few moments, Sadie squeezed her eyes shut and mumbled, "I slept with him. I shouldn't have...I wasn't ready...I..."

"Oh, Sadie..." Remus held her tighter.

"It hurts..." she whispered, face heating up in shame and embarrassment. "He's going to want to do it again...I can't..."

Remus sighed and pulled away to look her in the eyes. "You have to talk to him about it, Sadie. I know that sounds awful, but...you just have to. Is it really worth all of this?"

Sadie didn't respond. She looked away from him and played with her hands in her lap. "Don't tell James or Sirius," she pleaded.

He gazed at her sadly. "They would want to know." She shook her head.

"It would just make everything worse. Please," she begged.

Remus hesitated before nodding reluctantly. "I promise. Do you think you're okay now? I was sent to look for you, but everyone else is waiting for us in the common room. You've been missing for a long time, and people are worried."

Sadie sighed and stood up, charming her face to clear it up. "I'm ready."

Remus smiled at her encouragingly and allowed her to grip his hand tightly as they made their way back up to Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

**A/N: Whew! I must admit, I've been having some serious writers block with this part of the story. But I do believe I have overcome it! Sorry for taking so long to update! Thanks to everyone for following, favoriting, and reviewing!**

**shayna. kasdan: Is that enough drama for you? ;) Haha so glad you are enjoying it!**

**Clara: Well, we've got a long way yet, but yes, I too am excited for some real Sadie/Sirius romance! **

**Dally'sTuff: Yeah, Cynthia is a piece of work, for sure! Haha I'm not sure if this chapter answers many questions or just creates more!**


	10. Chapter 9

It was a couple of days before Sadie and Gideon had the chance to really sit down and talk. With the holidays fast approaching, their teachers had been trying to cram in as much homework as possible before the break. Aside from that, Sadie had taken to studying with Remus in the library in a somewhat subtle attempt to hide from her boyfriend. She was still unsure of how to handle her current situation, but having a friend, and Remus especially, who knew about everything was a bigger help than she imagined it would be. The werewolf had a soothing presence, and, while he didn't ever force her to talk about anything she didn't want to, he was always willing to listen and lend advice when she sought him out.

And so it was that the two friends found themselves seated together at one of the more secluded tables in the library about a week before the break. Slughorn's Christmas party was the following day, and, although he hadn't officially asked her, Sadie assumed Gideon was expecting her to go with him. With a sigh, she looked up from her book to stare at Remus, waiting for him to finish the page he was on before returning her gaze, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"I'm freaking out," she told him.

He nodded patiently. "So we've discussed."

"I can't keep putting this off. I have to come up with some sort of strategy. Sluggie's party is tomorrow, and I need to at least have something figured out by then. I'll be spending the whole evening with him, and I don't think I will be able to dodge the subject that whole time."

"A valid concern."

Sadie huffed at him. "So tell me what to do!"

Remus sighed and closed his book, resting his forearms on the table in front of him. "Well, let's break it down a little bit. What things are you hoping to accomplish with whatever you decide to do?"

Sadie sat in thoughtful silence for a moment. "Well, um...if everything went perfectly...I wouldn't have to act all...boring and grown up anymore...but we would still stay together...but I wouldn't have to sleep with him again until I'm ready...but he wouldn't have his feelings hurt that I don't want to. Sleep with him again, that is."

"Alright," Remus took a deep breath, trying not to show how unrealistic he felt those expectations were. "Are you looking for my honest opinion?" Sadie nodded, biting her lip uncertainly. "I think that the two most important things on that list are the two that are completely and totally about you: Being able to be yourself again and not having to go any further physically than you are comfortable with." He gave her a pointed look. "Even if that means hurting his feelings a bit or ending the relationship. No matter how much you like him, you're going to be completely miserable if you continue to compromise your happiness just to keep him around. It's not healthy, it's not fair to Prewett, and it definitely isn't fair to you."

Sadie looked away from him. "Right..."

"That being said," he continued with a kind smile. "I do think I have an idea. It isn't foolproof by any means, but it's better than nothing."

"Go on..." She quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, first of all, you're going to quit the act. You don't have to talk to him about that. Just start being yourself again. He asked you out because he liked the real you in the first place, right? That's got to mean something."

She nodded slowly. "I suppose so...he didn't fall in love with the real me, though..."

"That leads me to my next question. Do you love him?"

Sadie hesitated. "I...I mean...I really like him, but...I don't know what love feels like! I...I guess, I think so? I think I love him."

Remus nodded. "Alright, so say it back to him if it feels right. But, even if it doesn't, you can still respond positively to at least something that he said."

"Like...I could agree to meet his family over the holidays?"

"Exactly," Remus beamed at her. "As for the sex...I really can't think of a way around just talking to him about it. But it doesn't have to be a painful conversation. Just tell him that you are nervous to do it again and want some time to process everything first. He's a good bloke. He should be understanding. And at the very least, that will buy you some time to come up with a more long term solution."

Sadie gave her friend a grateful smile. "Thanks, Rem. You make everything feel like such a smaller deal than it seemed like."

Remus wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulders. "Happy to help. We'd best get going now though. Don't want to be late for Transfiguration." They stood and gathered their books. "Oh, and Sadie? I think maybe it would be a good idea for you to stop hanging out with Cynthia...I'm not sure she's the best influence...just a suggestion..."

Sadie laughed wryly and nodded in agreement. "That's fair."

"Now remember, just be yourself. We all miss you."

As they were making their way to the Transfiguration classroom, they came up behind James, Sirius, and Peter, who were heading to the same place. Sadie took a deep breath and grinned as she ran and slung her arms around James and Sirius' shoulders.

"Morning," she greeted cheerfully, though even she had to admit that it sounded a little forced. It was a marked improvement from the last few weeks though, and she figured it was fair that it would take her a little while to recover completely. She was still hurting.

Her brother and her best friend looked at her, blinking in surprise. It was James who recovered first.

"Morning, Sade! What's got you in such a good mood?"

She shrugged. "Do I need a reason?"

"No," Sirius answered quickly, wrapping an arm around her waist and giving it a squeeze. "Absolutely not." They exchanged soft smiles, and Sadie knew she had been forgiven for whatever harsh words she had spoken to him recently.

* * *

That evening, Sadie was curled up against Gideon's side as they sat on the couch and waited for everyone else to go to bed. He leaned down to press his lips to the top of her head and hummed contentedly. Sadie forced herself to breathe evenly, trying to calm her nerves for the conversation they were about to have.

Eventually, they were the only two people left in the common room. Gideon looked down at her with adoringly, and Sadie felt her heart skip a beat.

"I would love to meet your family over the holidays," she blurted. "And...and maybe you could meet mine too."

"Really?" Gideon's face broke into the biggest smile she had ever seen him wear. And in that moment, Sadie was sure that what she was feeling was love. She nodded and pressed her lips gently to his.

"I love you too," she told him. The words felt strange on her tongue, and for a moment she worried that she had made a mistake in saying them. But the look on Gideon's face was enough to convince her that it was worth it. Even if she didn't completely love him yet, she was sure she would get there. And if that was the case, then what would it hurt to just tell him a little early?

He grabbed her face and kissed her over and over again, murmuring "I love you's" each time their lips parted. Sadie let out a breathy laugh and pulled back just slightly to look at him happily.

"As if I could possibly, _not _love you," she smiled.

"Come up to my dorm," he beamed at her. "We can silence the curtains. And then we can make sure you get up and leave early enough that you won't be seen."

Sadie took a deep breath and prepared to make an excuse not to join him, but the words caught in her throat. He was gazing at her with such love and joy, and she just couldn't bear to ruin that.

_"You've already slept with him,"_ she reminded herself. _"It isn't as though you've got anything to lose now." _She felt her heart clench painfully at the thought, but she swallowed her feelings and nodded at Gideon with a forced smile. He grinned and grabbed her hand, leading her up the stairs that led to his dorm.

* * *

Sadie lay awake in Gideon's arms all night. She couldn't help but smile slightly at his soft snoring, but otherwise, she simply stared blankly ahead, feeling numb. This was so unlike what she had always imagined love and sex to feel like.

"It will get better," she whispered to herself. "It has to." But these thoughts didn't help calm her heart and her mind.

She was still awake when she felt her wand vibrating, signalling that it was time for her to get up and make her way to her own dormitory. She shifted to slip out of bed, but Gideon's arms tightened around her.

"Stay," he mumbled groggily, not opening his eyes.

Sadie smiled and brushed a stray hair out of his face. "James would have a fit if he were to see me leave. I'll see you again in a couple of hours."

He grumbled unhappily but reluctantly released her. "I love you," he yawned before turning over and snoring quietly once again.

Sadie tiptoed carefully out of the room and down the stairs, still wearing nothing but Gideon's shirt. It was about four in the morning, and she was quite confident that she wouldn't run into anyone.

She was wrong.

She was greeted in the common room by the sight of Sirius' shocked face. She froze and stared back, feeling quite like a deer in the headlights as he gaped at her. It was several moments before either of them spoke, and it was Sirius who broke the tense silence.

"Sadie Mae..." He cleared his throat, carefully assuming a neutral expression. "A bit early to be awake, don't you think?"

Sadie chuckled nervously. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Nightmares," he admitted. "The usual."

Sadie's discomfort was immediately forgotten, and she quickly made her way to sit next to him on the couch. She rested her head just over his heart and wrapped her arms tightly around his torso. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"I hate your mother." Sadie's voice dripped with venom. There were very few things that could truly set her off, and Sirius' abuse at the hands of his parents was one of them.

Sirius sighed and pulled away from her a bit uncomfortably. "I'd rather not talk about it." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and when he next spoke, his tone was casual, but Sadie knew differently. "Does James know you're sleeping with Prewett?"

"Why should he?" Sadie retorted hotly. "It's none of his business. None of yours either, while we're on the subject."

Sirius frowned deeply and looked away from her. "Right. Just as long as you're alright."

"I'm alright," she lied convincingly.

He nodded, still refusing to meet her eyes. "Well, if you don't want James to find out, then you'd better get up to your dorm. I'll see you at breakfast." And with that, he stood abruptly and disappeared back up the stairs to his dorm, leaving Sadie to add his unhappy behavior to her list of things to worry about.

She wasn't sure how much more she could handle.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Remember to review! It keeps me motivated! ;)**

**Dally'sTUFF: Yes, poor Sadie! Fifteen! What an age, amirite? Being a teenager is hard! And even harder without close friends!**


	11. Chapter 10

Sirius stood in the entrance hall, fidgeting impatiently as he waited for Cynthia. He hadn't even wanted to go to this stupid Christmas party, but his girlfriend had begged him to take her, never having had the opportunity to attend Slughorn's annual shindig.

_"So, here I am," _he thought bitterly._ "Waiting for my girlfriend who I don't even like so that we can go to a party that I don't even care about and socialize with a bunch of people that I couldn't even be bothered with. Figures."_

That first part was a bit of a stretch. He honestly did like Cynthia for the most part. She was wicked smart and made him laugh all the time. But he had been in an uncommonly foul mood ever since discovering that Sadie had been sleeping with Prewett. He hadn't been able to help it when jealousy had reared its ugly green head, and so he was forced to admit to himself that, as much as he enjoyed Cynthia, she just wasn't Sadie.

"Hey, there, Handsome." Sirius was pulled from his thoughts by his girlfriend's greeting. He forced a smile and held out his arm for her.

"You look great." And it was true. She wore a tight, strapless dress that cut off just above the knees. Her long dark hair was pulled into an intricate updo, and her makeup, as usual, was flawless. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

Just then, Sirius was stopped in his tracks by the sight of Sadie and Gideon coming down the stairs. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes took her in. Her hair was curled in loose ringlets that fell just past her shoulders. Delicate white snowflakes adorned the fitted bodice of her dress and slowly faded away into a pale blue a-line skirt that swished gently around her calves as she walked. Her eyes sparkled as she laughed at something Prewett had said, and Sirius felt himself wishing harder than he ever had that it was her he had on his arm.

Cynthia cleared her throat next to him, shaking him from his reverie. "Sirius? Are you ready?"

He cleared his throat. "Oh. Yes. Sorry. Let's go."

The party was much like Sirius had expected it to be. Just a bunch of brownnosers trying to get in with Slughorn's various connections while they gorged themselves on supposed 'delicacies.' The music was good, at least, but people were so busy trying to one-up each other that nobody was even dancing. Sirius sat boredly in the corner, trying and failing to keep his eyes off of Sadie, while Cynthia watched the party with disappointment on her face.

"Well, this is a lot less fun than I imagined it would be," she admitted.

Sirius smirked. "I told you." He glanced once more at the real object of his affections before grabbing Cynthia's hand. "I can think of much better ways to spend our time. Want to get out of here?"

She gave him a sultry smile. "I like the sound of that."

They slipped out of the room unnoticed and hurried into the nearest empty classroom. Sirius quickly locked and silenced the door before grabbing his girlfriend and pouring all of his frustration into a passionate embrace.

Things seemed to be going perfectly when, suddenly, Cynthia froze. Sirius stopped and looked around to see what could have caused her sudden shift in mood, but found nothing. When he turned back to look at her in confusion, she looked absolutely livid.

"Wha-" he started, but she cut him off.

"I have tried everything." Her voice shook with anger. "I have been patient. I have been so good to you. Have I not been good to you, Sirius?"

Sirius laughed nervously. "Um, yes? What..."

"I have watched you pine after Sadie Potter the entire time that we've been together. I've seen the way you look at her, the way she makes you laugh, and the way everything and everyone else disappears to you when she is around. And I have put up with it because I figured that you wouldn't have asked me out unless you at least liked me a little bit, and eventually you would get over this pathetic little crush you have."

He gaped at her. "Cyn..."

"I've been patient! I have put up with a lot more than most girls would! And yet, you can't even spare me the common decency of saying my name during sex instead of hers!"

Oh.

Whoops.

"I have done everything within my power to get you to fall for me instead! I got her to start acting like a stick in the mud. I told her to put more effort into her relationship with Prewett. Heck! I even convinced her to screw him even though she didn't want to!" Sirius felt his heart drop into his stomach. Cynthia laughed bitterly. "And all for what? This? This is humiliating. I am Cynthia Schaffer. I could have anyone I wanted. I gave you so many chances, but you are just not worth it. So, screw you, Black, and screw her too."

And with that, she threw her clothes back on and stormed out of the room, leaving Sirius to sink slowly to the floor and try to process everything that she had just said.

* * *

Back at the party, Sadie had found herself being whisked to and fro' by Gideon, who seemed determined to show her off to anyone and everyone who would spare him a moment. She was feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything. It just felt like their relationship was suddenly escalating too quickly for her to keep up. Gideon had treated her well the entire time that they had been together, but now he was almost treating her like royalty. But she was starting to feel a little bit more like some sort of achievement that he wanted to announce to the world rather than an actual person.

Eventually, having realized that he wasn't going to pay any attention to her other than to introduce her to whatever people he wanted to talk to next, Sadie gave his arm a squeeze. "Gid?"

He looked down at her, smiling. "Yes, dear?" She cringed inwardly. He was talking to her as though she was his wife.

"Um, I'm starting to get a headache. I think I'm going to head up to bed."

Gideon frowned in concern. "Are you sure it's just a headache? Do you want me to come with you?"

"Oh, no," Sadie shook her head quickly. "You're enjoying yourself. I'll be fine to get up there on my own."

"If you're sure..."

She nodded and gave him a quick kiss. "You keep having a good time. I'll see you in the morning."

He smiled at her. "I love you. Sleep well, and feel better, okay?"

She halfheartedly returned his smile before exiting the room. Once she was outside, she took off her shoes with a wince and began the long walk up to Gryffindor Tower.

She knew that James and Sirius were both at the party as well, and Remus and Peter had some sort of plans outside of their dormitory for the evening. Still, she just wanted their company and figured they would all be back eventually, so she made her way up to their dorm and curled up in her brother's bed.

Much sooner than she expected, the door opened, and Sirius entered the room. He trudged over to his bed and sat down hard on the edge of it. He still hadn't noticed her. He put his face in his hands, looking troubled.

"Sirius?"

He jumped. "Sadie?! What are you doing here?"

She laughed weakly and sat up. "Just wanted some company, I suppose."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "You wanted company, so you left the party early?"

"Yeah," Sadie mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. "I guess I got tired of that company. How about you? You're back early."

He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Yeah...I think Cynthia broke up with me..."

Sadie's hand flew to her mouth, and she quickly moved to sit next to him on his bed. "Oh, Sir...I'm so sorry. I know how much you liked her." Sirius chuckled softly.

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure I like her as much as I thought I did."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I'm fine. You, on the other hand, look like you just got back from a funeral." He tucked her hair behind her ears. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Sadie's voice cracked, and she swallowed hard. "Yeah, I'm okay. I guess..." She bit her lip. "I guess things are suddenly moving really fast with Gideon...I'm...not handling it the best..."

Thanks to Cynthia, Sirius had an inkling what she was talking about and had to take a deep breath before answering. He couldn't let her know what he knew or else she would ask more questions that he wasn't willing to answer. He chose his next words carefully. "Care to elaborate? I thought you'd be thrilled about getting more serious with him."

Sadie hesitated. "Well...it's just...I haven't...this is my first relationship, you know? And I like him. A lot. Obviously. But...I'm just not ready for the 'I love you's' and the talk about the future and...the...well, the..."

"The sex," Sirius finished softly. Sadie nodded weakly and bit her lip.

"I'm scared," she whispered, and his heart broke at the sight of her looking so vulnerable.

"What are you scared of?"

She took a shuddering breath and stared down at her hands in her lap. "I don't know...losing him...but also the commitment...and more sex..."

Sirius grabbed her hand gently. "You're scared of the sex?"

She nodded, a single tear running down her cheek. "It's painful. And I don't actually want to do it...I just do it because he wants to...I know it shouldn't be a big deal-"

No," Sirius cut her off, shaking his head vehemently. "No, it is a big deal. He should recognize that you're uncomfortable. You aren't that great of an actor, Sadie Mae. He's taking advantage of you. Sex is a big deal for you. You shouldn't have to sacrifice yourself to him just because he wants that from you."

Sadie gave him a watery smile. "I miss you."

He was surprised by this change in topic, but he recovered quickly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I miss you too, Sadie Mae."

She sighed and then laughed and shook her head. "I felt like I was nothing but his arm candy the whole evening. It's like he's trying to show off his wife or something. But he didn't even dance with me. Not once. I got all dressed up in this uncomfortable dress, and I didn't even get to dance in it."

"Well, that just won't do!" Sirius declared with a grin. Whipping out his wand, he flicked it at the radio on his nightstand, charming it to play Beatles songs. Their earlier stuff, for Sadie's sake. Then he stood up and offered her his hand with a bow. "My lady? May I have the pleasure of this dance?"

Sadie giggled and placed her hand in his. "You may, good sir."

And so they danced. The waltz, the swing, the tango...most of the time the dance style didn't match the music at all, but they didn't care. They swept around the room, laughing and talking, until they finally slowed down and simply swayed back and forth in each other's arms. Sirius felt his heart hammering. It had been weeks since they had been like this. She looked up at him through her long lashes, and it took all the self-restraint he had not to kiss her.

"Sirius?" she murmured.

He gently brushed her hair out of her face. "Hmm?"

"Could you..." She bit her lip, embarrassed about what she wanted to ask him. "Could you just...hold me?" She felt her face heat up, and she looked away from him, unsure why she was feeling so shy. She couldn't remember ever being nervous around Sirius.

Sirius swallowed hard. "O-of course. Erm...do you want to change into something more comfortable?"

She nodded timidly. "That would be nice."

He dug around in his dresser and pulled out an oversize t-shirt and some pajama bottoms. "They'll probably drown you," he laughed, giving her an apologetic look as he handed them to her.

"Perfect," she told him with a smile. She disappeared into the bathroom and came out a couple of minutes later in the clothes he had given her. "How do I look?" she asked with a grin.

"Beautiful," he breathed, making her blush and her heart pound inexplicably. She made her way hesitantly to his bed where he lay waiting for her and crawled in next to him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, trying to control his feelings as he breathed in the scent of her hair.

She buried her face in his chest, feeling more safe and comfortable than she had in weeks. Despite her sudden nervousness at being so close to him, it was only minutes before exhaustion set in, and she was fast asleep.

Sirius lay awake for some time afterward, running his hands through her hair and up and down her back. It was this sight that the other boys were met with when they finally returned from their late-night escapades. They all stopped abruptly, but Sirius shook his head and brought a finger to his lips.

"Erm...Padfoot..." James whispered hesitantly. "I know you're my best mate and all...but...I'm still not sure how comfortable I am with you sharing a bed with my sister..."

Remus put a hand on his shoulder. "Leave it, Prongs. I think she needs this."

Three pairs of eyes stared at him, silently questioning what he knew, but he just shook his head and refused to say any more. Still grumbling a bit, James reluctantly got ready for bed along with his friends.

"Just don't try anything, alright, mate?"

Sirius rolled his eyes but laughed silently and gave his friend a thumbs up. Satisfied, James climbed into his bed, and the room was soon filled with the quiet snores of five teenagers.

* * *

**A/N: I know there hasn't been a whole lot of Sirius in the last couple of chapters, so hopefully this makes up for that! Thanks for reading! Remember to leave a review! They make my day!**

**Dally'sTUFF: Right? Gah! She'll get there eventually. Maybe. Hopefully. We'll see. ;)**


	12. Chapter 11

Sadie awoke to the feeling of gentle fingers threading themselves in and out of her hair. She was curled up against something warm and solid, and her nose picked up the most comforting smell. She knew that smell, but her brain was still waking up and couldn't quite place it. She sighed contentedly and snuggled closer to that warm, solid something. The fingers in her hair stopped.

"Sadie Mae?" She recognized Sirius' soft voice close to her face.

"Hmmmm..." Finally opening her eyes, she tilted her head up to see her best friend gazing down at her with a slight smile on his face. She blinked at him for a moment before burrowing once more into his warm embrace. "Shhh..." she mumbled. "I'm sleeping."

His chest rumbled with a soft chuckle. "It's almost noon," he informed her. "We've already missed breakfast. I don't fancy skipping lunch as well."

Sadie groaned and slowly lifted her head up to look at him, a little confused. "Wait...how long have you been awake?!" Sirius hesitated.

"A few hours..." he admitted after a moment.

"A few...Sirius!" Sadie sat up all the way and frowned at him.

He shrugged like it was no big deal. "I didn't want to wake you. You seemed like you really needed the sleep."

_'Plus I loved holding you,' _he thought to himself.

Sadie gave him an exasperated look as she stood up. "Well, come on then. Let's get both of us fed." She paused for a second and then gave him a soft smile. "Thank you. For everything."

Sirius grinned back and stood up, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Anything for you, Sadie Mae." He grabbed a set of clothes and went into the bathroom, returning a few minutes later looking as though he had been up and getting ready for hours. Sadie shook her head at him.

"How do you always look so perfect?"

He laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders, guiding her out the door and down the stairs. "Ah, Sadie. It comes naturally. Along with my charming personality and rapier wit."

"And humble heart, as well?" Sadie asked wryly, both of them laughing as they stepped into the common room. "Let me run up and get dressed. I'll be right..." She trailed off as her eyes fell on Gideon, who was looking between the two of them furiously.

"So it's true." His voice was low and dangerous. Sadie had never heard him speak like that, and she took a nervous step backward, unsure what to expect from him.

Sirius, on the other hand, stepped forward cautiously. "Don't jump to conclusions here, Prewett. It isn't anything like what it looks like.

Gideon laughed hollowly. "Oh, no? So your girlfriend didn't break up with you because she caught the two of you shagging?" Both Sirius and Sadie's mouths fell open.

"Absolutely not!" Sadie shook her head quickly. "I don't know why they broke up, but that can't be the reason because it never happened." She stepped closer to him and spoke softly. "Gideon, I would never cheat on you."

He gave her a look of disbelief. "Seriously? So you just happened to spend the night with him and come down wearing his clothes for no reason at all? And I'm supposed to believe that?"

Sadie took a deep breath. "Look, I know that this looks bad, but give me a chance to explain, alright?" Gideon raised his eyebrows and folded his arms impatiently.

"I'm waiting."

"Last night, I left the party early because I had a headache," she began calmly. "I knew I would have trouble sleeping because of it, and Remus usually keeps a bottle of sleep potion in his trunk, so I went up to borrow it. Sirius was there, and we ended up talking until I got drowsy. He lent me some pajamas since I was still wearing my dress, and I slept in their dorm. It certainly isn't the first time that I've spent the night there. We both just happened to sleep in, so now we were going to head to get some lunch. Nothing inappropriate happened." It was only half the story, but she felt it best to avoid mentioning such details as that had slept in Sirius' bed with him. She had a feeling Gideon would consider that 'inappropriate' no matter how many times she assured him that her relationship with Sirius was completely platonic.

Gideon didn't look convinced, but then Sirius spoke up. "Cynthia broke up with me last night because she is jealous that I spend so much time with Sadie." Sadie looked at him in surprise at this new piece of information. "She was pretty bitter about it, so it doesn't surprise me that she would exaggerate the details somewhat and try to get back at Sadie by breaking the two of you up."

Sadie walked up to Gideon and placed her hands on his chest, looking up at him with tears in her eyes. "I swear I didn't cheat. I know Sirius and I are close, but we really are just friends. Neither of us has ever had any sort of romantic feelings for the other."

He cast a knowing look over her shoulder at Sirius who was looking down at the ground uncomfortably. Then he sighed and placed his hands on her hips. "I believe you. You've never given me a reason not to trust you. But just know that I won't be so easy to convince if something like this happens again."

Sadie let out a sigh of relief and stood on her toes to kiss him. "Thank you."

Gideon gave her a tight smile. "Go get dressed. You need food."

She nodded and dashed up the stairs to her room. Gideon and Sirius eyed each other tensely, almost squaring each other up. Eventually, Gideon broke the silence.

"Keep your hands off my girl, Black," he warned. "I believe her when she says she doesn't have feelings for you, but I know for a fact that the same can't be said in reverse."

Sirius gave him a scathing look. "I haven't done anything wrong, Prewett. You on the other hand..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gideon scoffed. Sirius glared at him, eyes glinting dangerously.

"Let's just say that if you don't start to care a little bit more about Sadie's emotional well-being and less about your own need for a good shag, James and I won't be so friendly anymore," he breathed threateningly.

Gideon laughed scornfully. "Oh, I see. You've deluded yourself into thinking that I'm pushing her further than she wants to go. I wouldn't do that, Black. We've had this discussion before, but it seems you need reminding. You aren't the only one here who genuinely cares about Sadie Potter. And for the record, she was the one who initiated it the first time, not me."

"Yes, but only because Cynthia bullied her into it!"

Sirius winced when he realized he had said more than he meant to, and Gideon stared at him, shock written all over his face.

"She...what?

Sirius shook his head with a sigh. "I shouldn't have told you that."

"S-Sadie said that?" Gideon looked hurt.

"No! She..." Sirius ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Cynthia told me that. She was jealous of Sadie, and apparently she's a lot more vindictive and petty than I thought she was, and I..." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Just be more careful with her, alright? Don't...don't force her to keep doing anything she isn't comfortable with. And don't tell her I said anything. She doesn't know how much I know..."

Gideon sat down heavily in an armchair. "I...I didn't realize...I _should_ have realized...That's why she's been so distant..." He swore quietly then looked up at Sirius. "As much as it pains me to say this, thank you. For telling me. I'll..." He took a deep breath. "I'll do better. I promise."

Sirius nodded and sat down across from him. "I don't hate you, Prewett," he told him honestly. "I may be a little jealous, but I don't hate you. And as long as you are treating her well and as long as she is genuinely happy with you, I'm not going to get in the way of you guys. If you make her happier than I could, then so be it. Just please take care of her. I'm asking you as her friend. Please."

Gideon nodded thoughtfully, but before he could respond, Sadie reappeared in fresh clothes.

"Ready?" She smiled at them, and Gideon stood, taking her hand.

"Ready," Sirius responded, returning her smile, and the three of them made their way down to lunch.

Just as they were about to walk through the doors to the Great Hall, Lily, James, and Remus cut them off, looking anxious.

"Sadie..." Lily began carefully. "There's something you should know about before-"

Sadie cut her off with a laugh. "Can we talk about it over food? I'm starving." She continued walking into the Great Hall. "Also, I'm surprised to see you and James together. And willingly! What..."

She trailed off as she noticed the Great Hall go silent when she entered. People were straining their necks to look at her, and it was only a moment before several whispered conversations broke out of which Sadie was only able to catch a few snippets as she made her way self-consciously to where the rest of her friends were sitting.

"...Prewett with Black..."

"...cheat..."

"...poor Cynthia..."

"...Lupin as well..."

"...well I heard..."

"...slut..."

Sadie swallowed hard and grabbed a couple of sandwiches with trembling hands, carefully avoiding eye contact with anyone. James sat down next to her, glaring hard at everyone he could.

"It started this morning," he explained quietly. "I think it started as just a rumor that you and Sirius were having some secret love affair, but it's escalated from there...we've tried to set people straight, but when you and Sirius and Gideon were all absent all morning...people sort of ran with it..."

To her horror, Sadie felt her lower lip begin to tremble. "I'm not hungry anymore," she gasped, standing up abruptly. "I'm not feeling well."

And with that she hurried out of the Great Hall, letting her hair fall around her face to hide her tears. Sirius made to go after her, but Lily grabbed his arm.

"Don't," she advised. "It'll look bad and only make things worse."

Gideon was glowering around the room. "But not if I go. I'll take care of it."

He practically ran after his girlfriend, leaving the fifth year Gryffindors to look at each other helplessly.

"This is ridiculous," Sirius muttered through clenched teeth. "She hasn't done a single thing wrong." He suddenly slammed his fist on the table, making everyone around him jump. "I'm gonna kill that lying, pathetic, little..."

"Sirius," Remus interjected quietly. "Do you know what this is about?"

Sirius put his head in his hands. "It's my fault," he admitted. "Well, sort of. It's Cynthia..."

His friends nodded, understanding dawning on their faces. They were all quiet after that, poking at their food with glum expressions on their faces and wishing there was something they could do to stop people gossiping.

* * *

Sadie was curled up on the couch in the common room, staring absently into the fire. Gideon walked through the portrait hole and sat down carefully next to her. He didn't say anything, choosing instead to simply rub her back gently and wait for her to speak first. It took several minutes, but eventually she looked up at him with watery eyes.

"You really do believe me, don't you?" Her voice quivered.

Gideon couldn't help but give a soft chuckle. "Would I be here if I didn't?"

Sadie's lips quirked into a small smile in spite of herself, and she slowly moved to lay her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. They sat in silence for a while before Gideon cleared his throat nervously.

"I owe you an apology," he told her. She looked up at him in confusion.

"What for?"

Gideon took her hands in his. "I'm afraid I've been rushing things with you a little bit. It's just that I love you so much, and I guess I got a bit carried away with things, and I didn't even recognize when you started to shut down from it."

"Where is this coming from?" Sadie questioned, eyes narrowing suspiciously. She was going to have some words with Sirius if he had told Gideon about what they'd talked about.

He smiled at her regretfully and gave her the explanation he'd been planning since his conversation with Sirius. "Well, last night, when I thought you were cheating on me, I did a lot of reflection. You know, just trying to think of what I had done to drive you away. And, looking back, I realized that you had given lots of signs that you were overwhelmed with how things were progressing, and I just didn't recognize them. I know you didn't actually cheat on me, but that doesn't change the fact that I haven't been as sensitive and patient as I should have been."

Sadie felt a rush of relief. "It's my fault too," she admitted. "I should have communicated better. I just didn't want you to think that I was rejecting you or anything."

"I don't think that." He kissed her gently. "So, can we go over things a little bit?" She nodded. "Alright, how do you really feel about meeting my family over Christmas?"

She smiled at him. "I would honestly like that. And I would honestly like you to meet my parents as well."

"Great," Gideon grinned. "Next thing, is it still okay for me to tell you I love you?"

Sadie hesitated before nodding slowly. "I think so. And I do think that I love you back. This is just all so new to me."

He smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead. "That's alright. You don't have to say it until you're sure. I promise my feelings won't be hurt."

"You're amazing," she whispered. "Thank you."

He kissed her softly then pulled back with a deep breath. "Alright, now remember, I'm looking for honesty here, and I'm not going to feel hurt or rejected...How are you feeling about...physical intimacy?"

Sadie bit her lip and looked away from him, pausing before mumbling, "I think it might be good to take a bit of a step backward with that..."

"Okay," Gideon grinned in relief that she had answered honestly. "Okay. We can absolutely do that. From now on, if you start to feel anxious or uncomfortable with how far we are going, all you have to do is say so. And we'll stop, or at least slow down. And we can talk about things more. Will that be alright?"

She nodded happily. "That sounds wonderful." Then, out of the blue, she launched herself at him, burying her face in his neck. "Thank you so much. I was so afraid you would be angry or upset. I didn't want...just...thank you."

He returned her embrace, and they spent the next couple of hours just holding each other and talking and laughing quietly. Despite the rumors she knew she would have to face the next day, Sadie found that she was perfectly content with how her life was at that exact moment.

* * *

**A/N: Did a lot happen in this chapter? I feel like a lot happened in this chapter. But maybe it's just me. Thanks to everyone for reading! Let me know what you think and if there is anything specific you would like to see happen later in the story! I will see what I can do! ;)**

**Dally'sTUFF: Gah, isn't he just the best? And I think Sadie just might start to feel a little more for him pretty soon here...I dunno! Guess we will have to see! ;)**


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